Phoenix Rising
by Taran
Summary: Old Version. Incomplete.
1. Looking for Allies

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter_. 

Author's Note: _continuation of The Dark Past: Confusing Times. It won't make too much sense unless you've read that series first_. 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 1: Looking for Allies 

Harry rolled out off bed and landed with a thud on the floor of Ron's bedroom. Ron grunted in his sleep and turned away from Harry. 

After watching him for a few seconds, Harry sidled to his trunk and carefully opened it. He rummaged around until he found the book, the book that Evan Rosier had given him while Harry had been in his Pensieve. 

Man, had that been one strange occurrence. Mr. Weasley had confiscated that Pensieve from the Malfoy's and held onto it just long enough for Harry to get into it and then out of it again before Lucius Malfoy had taken it back. Very strange, even for Harry's knack of having things happen to him. 

Shrugging, Harry opened the book in the middle and grimaced. Strange symbols, equations, and words filled the page. Harry flipped through the thing and frowned. He couldn't understand one thing in it! Not even the first page! How was he supposed to do the Remembrance Spell Evan had wanted him to do so Severus would remember where he had put his kids? 

This was terrible! Hermione. He was going to have to get Hermione to help him. She would be able to understand the book. He wouldn't tell her why he wanted to do the spell but he was sure she would enjoy the challenge nonetheless and maybe, just maybe, he would get Lupin to help him too. 

Sighing, Harry stuffed the book back into his trunk. Evan hadn't been kidding about being intelligent, that book, from what Harry had managed to garner from it, was for very advanced witches and wizards, not kids still in school, and yet Severus had given it to Evan while Evan was only a sixth year. He only hoped Hermione was as bright as he had been. 

"Oi!" grunted Ron again as he sat up and stared at Harry with sleepy eyes. "What was that noise this morning? Did you find out?" 

Harry shook his head. "I just woke up." 

"Oh," Ron muttered, getting out of bed. Harry was pleased to see that he had new pajamas on, ones that fit him properly and had room to grow, too. 

"I meant to ask you, where did you get those pajamas?" Harry asked. 

Ron shrugged. "I found them, along with a new dress robe, on my bed one morning when I woke up. Several of us have gotten small gifts this summer. It's been kind of fun trying to figure out who sent them. My vote is for Charlie." 

Harry smiled. It wasn't Charlie. It was Fred and George, using that money Harry had given them wisely. 

"Who do Fred and George think it was?" Harry asked, wondering how they were covering it up. 

Ron rolled his eyes. "They're convinced it's me! They think you split the money you won with me! What did you do with it, anyway?" he asked. 

Harry shrugged. "Threw it into my vault to forget about it," he lied. 

Ron nodded his head tactfully and started to change into his robes. Harry followed suit, picking out a dark blue robe. 

They tromped down into the kitchen and Harry's mouth watered at the smells of breakfast being prepared. Mrs. Weasley was one good cook. She looked slightly flustered, probably still boiling inside over her encounter with Lucius Malfoy. 

A letter lay by his plate. It was from Lupin and Snuffles. Harry grinned as he opened it. 

_Harry,_

_Dumbledore has asked me to teach at Hogwarts again! I'll have to be more careful this time, to make sure that nothing like what happened your third year happens again. That was much too dangerous._

_Mad-Eye Moody will also be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. I'll have you for one class during the week and he'll have you for the other. Each house is being taught separately. Dumbledore must be really desperate to hire two DADA professors._

_My pet dog, Snuffles, will be coming with me too! He'll be staying with Hagrid, who knows all about Snuffles now, and Fang in Hagrid's cabin._

_We'll be coming around the Weasley's to take you all to Diagon Alley and then go with you on the train to Hogwarts!_

_Lupin and Snuffles_

Harry stared at the letter, smiling, excited about seeing Lupin and his godfather again. But, his smile faded a tad, with those two around getting Severus to be his friend was going to be difficult. Sirius hated Severus. Harry would just have to get Lupin on his side, Lupin didn't seem to hold any anger for Severus, and hopefully Sirius would come around eventually. 

He let Ron and Hermione (who was also staying with the Weasleys the last week before school started) read the letter, they got just as excited as he did at the news. 

"By the way, mum," Ron said, looking back at his mum, "what was all that noise this morning?" he asked, when he had put the letter back in its envelope. 

Mr. Weasley went red-eared, but he and his wife just shrugged. "Nothing important," he mumbled, clearing indicating that it had been important. 

Harry stuffed food down his throat, eager to drag Hermione upstairs and have her see that book. Especially before Lupin and Sirius arrived. 

Hermione and Ron, seeing that Harry was eating fast and eager to go back upstairs to show them something, ate fast too. Ginny, Harry noticed, looked rather hurt at being excluded. She was fourteen now, maybe it was time Harry started to treat her like it. 

"Hurry up, Ginny," Harry said between mouthfuls, "or you'll hold us up!" 

Blushing just a tad bit, Ginny hurried up. 

Once done they all rushed upstairs. 

"What is it?" Ron asked, breathless. 

Harry suddenly realized he had no way to explain his sudden possession of the book, so he opted for a lie none of them would ever try to verify. 

"Dumbledore sent me a book for my birthday and I just got around to opening it up this morning," he lied, feeling guilty that it came so easily. "But I can't understand anything in it." 

Hermione's eyes started to glow in excitement. "Can I see it?" 

Harry quickly pulled it out of his trunk. 

Hermione's excitement vanished as she flipped through it. "I can't understand it!" she said, horrified. 

Harry's heart dropped like a stone, and he had to fight against the tears. _Great!_ he thought savagely, Severus would never get his kids back. Unless, unless he told Dumbledore. But that would be betraying Evan's and Severus's trust. Harry steeled himself. Getting Severus's kids back was more important than anything else, if Severus hated him for the rest of his life for telling Dumbledore than so be it, so long as he had his kids with him. 

"I'll just have to take it back to Dumbledore and explain it to him," Harry decided. 

Hermione handed the book to Ron, who handed it to Ginny with wide eyes when he was done with it. Ginny looked through it, her own eyes widening up. 

"Did Dumbledore honestly think you were ready for that?" Hermione asked, studying him carefully. 

Harry thought fast. "Dumbledore once told me that people were always giving him books, even when he didn't want them. Maybe he was just hoping to get rid of it." 

Hermione bought it, as did Ron and Ginny. It was a good thing that none of them really knew Dumbledore that well. 

"Visitors!" called up Mrs. Weasley's voice. 

Harry stuffed the book into his trunk and sped downstairs to meet his dad's two best friends. Sirius looked good, as did Lupin. Harry hugged them both and then they all settled into the living room to talk about things; Voldemort's rebirth, Dumbledore's break with Fudge, Fudge being in Lucius Malfoy's pocket, and all the other heavy things that were happening. 

"I still can't believe that Dumbledore trusts Snape!" Sirius interjected as the discussion turned to the upcoming school year. "He was a Death Eater!" 

"People make mistakes," Harry quietly defended from his position on the floor in between Ron and Hermione. 

Lupin nodded his head from his position beside Sirius, all four adults were on the couch. "Dumbledore wouldn't trust Severus unless he had a reason to." 

"I think he's still a Death Eater," Fred said, giving up trying to oust George from the most comfortable chair and settling on the second best one. "Just making everyone think he's reformed so he can...." 

"Severus isn't pretending!" Harry growled, spinning around to glare at Fred. "He's on our side! Leave him alone!" 

Fred's eyebrows shot up. "Harry," he said, "we are talking about the man that has made your life as miserable as he can since you first walked into Hogwarts!" 

"So," Harry shrugged. 

"So?" Lupin asked. 

"Since when have you called Snape, Severus?" came Sirius's voice. 

Harry looked back at them. "Severus is his name. I call you by your first name," Harry said softly. "Plus, he doesn't hate me anymore." 

"How do you know that?" Ron asked. 

Harry looked at him and became aware of how everyone else was staring at him too, with puzzled expressions and astonishment. Oops! He was going to have to tone down his defenses of Severus. And start calling him Snape, too. 

"At the end of year feast, Snape," he said carefully, "didn't look at me with loathing anymore. He just looked at me like he looks at everyone that isn't a Slytherin," Harry explained. "And he did defend me when Fudge didn't believe me about Voldemort rising. Showing off his Dark Mark like that, when no one in the room but Dumbledore knew he had been a Death Eater, was awfully brave." 

Sirius grudgingly nodded his head. "Yeah, it was." 

Lupin leaned back on the couch. "I guess we should have guessed he was one. Evan Rosier and Florence Wilkes, his two best friends, turned out to be ones. And so did those other three they hung out with." 

"Snape was friends with Rosier?" Mr. Weasley asked, his voice tight. 

"Yeah," Sirius nodded his head. 

Mr. Weasley shuddered. "After Rosier had been brought down by Moody, we found a hit list on him." Harry nodded his head. Evan had done what he had said he would do, get Moody to bring him down. "The people that he killed, those were the worst 'clean-up' calls we ever had." 

"What do you mean?" Lupin asked, sitting up. 

"Evan Rosier was half-troll," Mr. Weasley explained, "and when people with troll blood kill they often use their hands and teeth instead of their wands. I had nightmares for weeks about what I saw on those calls. Especially when we went to Christopher Mayor's house." 

Mayor? Harry wanted to ask if that was the same Mayor that had been Head of Slytherin when Severus was a student, but didn't dare. 

"The Head of Slytherin House when we attended Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, curiously. 

Mr. Weasley nodded his head. "We had to burn his house down it was so bad. Usually Evan had just killed the person and left their house alone but Mayor's house he totally destroyed. We figured it was someone from Slytherin House that had killed Mayor, seeking revenge for the way they had been treated while he was the Head of their House, but we didn't know exactly who until we found that list." 

"He didn't like Slytherins?" Hermione asked. "But he was their Head of House?" 

Lupin nodded his head, rubbing his forehead. "It was a mess. Dumbledore couldn't get anyone else to be Head of Slytherin House, everyone was afraid of them because it was well known that Voldemort's recruits were coming almost solely from Slytherin House, so he was stuck with Mayor. But Mayor hated the Slytherins. No one really knew why. Anyway, he was really mean to them." 

"Is that why Snape favors the Slytherins so much, then?" George asked. "To make up for the way he got treated?" 

Lupin shrugged. "Severus was his least favorite student," Lupin's face got dark. "Mayor was constantly telling Severus he was a servant of Voldemort, even when he was just a first year. The first time Mayor told him that I overheard Severus asking Rosier and Wilkes who Voldemort was. He didn't even know back then! And Mayor hinted, more than once, that the world would be a better place if Severus was dead." 

"Ouch!" Harry said loudly. 

"He had never heard of You-Know-Who before he started Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, looking kind of embarrassed. "I always thought he had been raised by a dark witch or wizard." 

Sirius glanced at her, scratching his head. "So did I. Maybe they just didn't mention Voldemort around Snape so Snape wouldn't spill the beans while at school." 

"But Draco Malfoy knew about You-Know-Who," Arthur Weasley said, "ever since he was a kid, way before he went to Hogwarts. And Professor Snape would have been raised during You-Know-Who's rise to power. I find it kind of hard to believe his parents wouldn't have mentioned You-Know-Who to Snape if they were serving them." 

Lupin shrugged. "Not all dark witches and wizards served Voldemort, though. Maybe Severus's parents, or parent, didn't." 

"I wonder if Mayor ever found out he had been correct about Snape?" Sirius wondered. 

"I just hope Mayor wasn't the reason why Severus joined Voldemort," Lupin interjected. 

Sirius scoffed. "He was mean all right, but that's no excuse for Severus turning against us!" 

Harry had to bit his lower lip to keep himself from speaking up. Man, this was hard! 

"I know that!" Lupin said, as impatiently as Harry had ever heard him. "But think about it. Severus had nobody but his two best friends to go to. Everyone else thought he was evil. If he ever ditched them I doubt he could have gotten more friends and I'm sure he knew that. So he just followed their lead and their lead took him to Voldemort." 

"That's no excuse!" Sirius said. 

Lupin sighed. "How many on our side are just on our side because they are following their friends' leads? It makes sense that there would be some doing that on the other side, too." 

"He has a point!" Harry said, loudly again. 

He got several more puzzled looks. 

"Maybe," Sirius sighed. 

"Let's play Quidditch!" Mrs. Weasley said, sensing the tension in the air. 

Harry immediately got up. "Yeah, I want to try my hand at being a beater!" 

Their conversation was soon forgotten, except by Harry, who was more determined than ever to get Lupin on his side in trying to make Severus his friend. 


	2. Gaining Allies

Body Disclaimer: all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter. 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 2: Gaining Allies 

Over the next couple of days, Harry looked for an opportunity to be alone with Lupin, to discuss Severus, but none presented itself until they all went to Diagon Alley and Harry found himself alone with Lupin in Madam Malkin's Robe Shop. 

"So, aren't you ticked off at Sev- Snape for getting you fired third year?" Harry asked, testing the waters. 

Lupin shrugged as he felt the material of a very warm looking light brown robe. "I was going to quit anyway, Harry," Lupin sighed wearily. "Severus was right about it being possible that something might make me forget to take the Wolfsbane Potion. Everyone laughed at him when he said that but he was right," Lupin turned to Harry, a self-deprecating grin on his face. "I made Dumbledore elicit a strict promise out of Severus that he would make sure that I always took that Wolfsbane Potion, no matter what. Even if he has to track me down, hit me over the head with his cauldron, and pour the vile concoction down my throat. I haven't bitten anyone yet and I plan on keeping it that way. Going back to teach has me more worried than anyone else. I put everyone's life in danger that night. That must never happen again." 

Harry, who had never thought Lupin was actually glad to get fired, felt ashamed of himself. Of course Lupin would have been mortified about changing into a werewolf when there were children around. And it was something that might happen again, despite all the precautions they put in place. 

"I promise to make sure you take the Potion, too," Harry assured him. "And I'll try not to have any adventures on the full moon." 

Lupin laughed, but he seemed relieved. "I don't think you can plan when they are going to happen but I appreciate the offer." 

Harry glanced at the robe that Lupin was still fingering. "I could buy that for you," Harry offered, and seeing the look of embarrassment and protest on Lupin's face, Harry put up a hand. "It's the least I can do for you. And I like buying things for people." 

Harry bought his robes, and he bought Lupin two robes instead of just the one. He wanted to buy more for Lupin, but figured Lupin wouldn't let him. Besides, there was always Christmas coming up. 

"I wonder how Severus is going to take not getting the DADA job again?" Harry asked, still trying to see if Lupin had any desire to be Sev's friend. 

Harry wanted to ask Lupin straight out but didn't dare. People were suspicious enough of him as it was. He was still getting funny looks from people occasionally for defending Severus so adamantly that one day. 

"I don't know, Harry," Lupin said as they walked to the book shop to meet up with everyone. It was the last stop of the day. "I've always wondered if that rumor is true. Severus loves potions; even when we were in school that was the class he enjoyed the most, despite the teacher hating him, though he did know more about the Dark Arts." 

Nodding his head, Harry was getting rather frustrated. Lupin wasn't answering his unspoken question! He didn't hate Severus, that was obvious, but Harry couldn't tell if he wanted to be friends with him, either. Might as well just come out and say it when no one else was around. 

"So," Harry said, pausing as he reached to open the door of the book shop, "do you want to be friends with Snape?" 

Lupin shrugged. "I tried during your third year, it didn't work. But, then again, Severus honestly believed I was helping Sirius that year. I would like to try again," Lupin admitted, "but I don't think Sirius will be thrilled to find that out." 

Harry, who still hadn't opened the door, smiled. "I would like to try to be his friend, too. We can help each other out. And Sirius wouldn't ditch us, even if he did find out." 

"True," Lupin said as Harry finally opened the door and they walked in. 

Harry groaned. It was the Malfoys! Lucius and Draco were looking pleased with themselves, no doubt Voldemort's rebirth being the source, and sneered at Harry and Lupin both. Narcissa was looking at books, a look of bored indifference on her face. 

The Weasleys were already there, with Snuffles (Harry wondered how they had convinced the store owner to let a dog in the shop) and Hermione. Mr. Weasley was holding onto Snuffle's collar as he growled at the Malfoys. Mr. Weasley looked liked he wanted to growl too, but his wife had a firm hand on his shoulder. 

The twins were standing behind Ron and Ginny, whispering to each other, no doubt plotting something. 

"Well," Mr. Malfoy sneered, looking down at a smirking Draco, "if it isn't the werewolf. Tell me, Draco, how are you going to enjoy having a monster teach you Defense Against the Dark Arts? Think he'll let you practice on himself?" 

Lupin blushed, Snuffles snarled, showing all his teeth, Ron said something bad, and Hermione told Mr. Malfoy that he wasn't being polite. 

Harry wanted to say something too, but at the same time a person had moved to stand behind Mr. Malfoy, the last person that Harry would have ever expected to see in real life, Melusine. 

"How amusing, Lucius," said her icy voice. 

As all eyes turned to her, Harry heard gasping and choking noises, and most everyone moved a step backwards. Harry didn't blame them. She looked more evil in real life than she had in the Pensieve. 

Her skin was sallow, her dark red hair was still to her feet and gleaming in the light, her blue eyes were staring at Mr. Malfoy in a very unfriendly way, and her face was cold and dangerous looking. Harry noticed she wore a black robe with a black cloak, and she had a wand stuck in a black rope belt that went around her waist. Harry guessed she had to pretend to be a witch instead of a Seidr and had to leave her staff at home. 

"Severus!" she called over her shoulder. "Let's go." 

Severus came into sight, carrying a thick book, and Harry had to rapidly blink back tears as his cold black eyes flickered over Narcissa. Narcissa was staring at the book in her hand, ignoring everything around her. How could she ignore her brother like that! Harry wanted to kick her. In fact, he must have moved to do just that, when a restraining hand fell on his shoulder. 

Melusine and Severus left the store, both their cloaks billowing out behind them in the same manner. Severus hadn't even looked at anyone but his sister; not even Snuffles or Lupin, the two people he despised, had been given a glance. Maybe he was afraid that someone would notice the pain in his eyes that Harry was sure had to be there. 

"Was that his mother?!" Draco asked. 

Narcissa slammed her book shut. "No," she hissed, her face twisted, "it isn't!" 

Draco stepped back into his father, and Harry, for the first time, felt sorry for him. He was scared! Even Mr. Malfoy was looking at his wife with worry. 

"Let's go look at Quidditch supplies," Mr. Malfoy volunteered. "This shop has suddenly gone to the wolves," he spat, getting back in control of himself. 

Harry, wanting to kick Narcissa, decided that Mr. Malfoy would do just fine. And so, with the restraining hand gone, Harry darted to him and kicked him as hard as he could in the shin, fighting back the tears. Narcissa hadn't even looked at her brother! How could she have done that to him?! 

Harry moved his leg back to kick him again when Lupin grabbed him around the chest and hauled him off his feet. 

"Lemme go!" Harry screamed. 

Mr. Weasley moved in front of Harry, drawing his wand, as Mr. Malfoy did just that. 

"Let's go," Narcissa snapped. "I don't want to be in the same shop with these flea carriers." 

Harry bit his lip, hard enough to make it bleed, as they left, to prevent himself from screaming at her. Lupin dragged him off to a back room, with Snuffles, and then shut the door, locking it, as Snuffles changed back into his godfather. 

"What is wrong with you?!" Sirius demanded. 

But seeing the tears in Harry's eyes and the bleeding lip, Sirius looked helplessly at Lupin and then hugged Harry. 

"What's wrong?" he asked, softer, as Harry tried to get himself under control. 

"I guess seeing Mr. Malfoy reminded me of Cedric," Harry said, half-lying. It had reminded him of that but that wasn't the reason why he was crying. 

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, hugging him tighter. "We shouldn't have let you go in the same room with Malfoy yet. I'm sorry." 

Harry wiped at his eyes and pulled back, grinning sheepishly and blushing. "I need to work on not attacking Mr. Malfoy, huh?" Though it hadn't been Mr. Malfoy Harry's foot had wanted to connect with, it had been Narcissa. 

"You okay now?" Lupin asked. 

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah, I'm fine." 

Though Harry found himself worried. How was he going to handle Severus looking at Draco in Potions Class? At least he wouldn't feel an urge to kick Draco for ignoring his uncle, since Draco didn't know, and Draco was always sucking up to his Head of House anyway. For the first time, Harry was glad that Draco was sucking up to Severus. That had to help a little. Harry just hoped that Draco's feelings for Severus were genuine. 

"We better get our books," Harry said, going out the door. 

Everyone was staring at him again. Harry decided that it was something he was just going to have to get used to. 

The twins looked impressed, even Mr. Weasley looked rather happy. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione were looking shocked, while Ron and Ginny were fighting between looking shocked and happy. 

"You kicked him!" Fred said, impressed. 

Mrs. Weasley knocked him on the head. "That's nothing to be happy about." 

"Speak for yourself!" George said. "How did it feel?" 

Harry shrugged. "I shouldn't have done it. I should have controlled my temper." 

Mrs. Weasley looked pleased. "Come on, let's get your books and then go home for a bite to eat, and then you all can play Quidditch again." 

Harry smiled and bought his books. 

When they had finally made it back to the Burrow he wanted to play Quidditch first, to work out his emotions, but everyone else was too hungry, so they sat down to eat. Because of his swollen bottom lip, Harry had a bit of trouble eating. 

"Did you see that woman!" Fred said, laughing. "Scared old Malfoy to pieces!" 

"She scared me too!" Ginny piped up, shuddering. "Is that Snape's mother?" 

Harry drank down some juice to keep himself from speaking up. He wasn't supposed to know, after all. 

"Narcissa said it wasn't," Mr. Weasley said. "Though I don't see how she would know. I don't think they know each other." 

Harry stuffed bread into his mouth to keep it too full to talk. 

"Yeah, well," Sirius spoke up, "it would explain a lot. She looks as evil as he does! They must scare everyone to pieces as they walk down the streets together. One of them would be bad enough, but two!" 

Harry kept his hands busy by tearing a roll into pieces so he didn't hit his godfather. 

"I don't know," Lupin said, "she seemed fine to me. She stuck up for me, too." 

Harry gratefully smiled at Lupin. 

"I personally think that she's his mother, no matter what Mrs. Malfoy says," Hermione said softly. "That woman has that same prowling walk that Snape does and the way they get their cloaks to billow out behind them is the same. I think he picked it up from her." 

Harry, while listening to this, had a few thoughts of his own pop into his head. If Melusine was talking with Severus, then maybe he could too. Confide in her about Evan Rosier's Pensieve. Evan hadn't mentioned anything about not talking with Melusine. He was going to have to write her a letter and just hope that owls delivered into the Dark Forest. 

"Imagine having a mother like that!" Mrs. Weasley said, shivering. 

Harry looked at them all and frowned. They didn't know her, didn't know Melusine at all and yet they were judging her, judging her only on the basis of the way she looked. No wonder why Severus was so angry, no matter how nice he was, everyone would always think the worst of him, just because of something he couldn't help. 

Not feeling like playing Quidditch anymore after they ate, Harry sat with Lupin on the grass, watching. Harry had lied about hurting his leg while kicking Malfoy and wanting to rest it for the upcoming Quidditch season at school. His swollen bottom lip helped him look pathetic. Nobody bothered to convince him otherwise, they were still being too nice to him after his little slip with Mr. Malfoy. 

"So, you liked that lady?" Harry asked him, watching Ron hit an enchanted flying pillow at his sister with a stick. 

"Yeah," Lupin said. "Being a werewolf, I'm very careful about judging people at first glance. I give people the chance I wish they would give me. I personally think that's one reason why Severus hated your father and me so much. I was a werewolf, and could hide what I was, but Severus couldn't. And James had all sorts of people following him around, admiring him, wanting to date him, and telling him how wonderful he was. I don't think Severus wanted to be popular, but I do think he would have enjoyed having people running to him instead of away from him. That's got to get old after awhile and start hurting." 

Harry had had a taste of that once in a while and knew that it did hurt. When he had lost all those points for Gryffindor his first year, and then his second year when everyone thought he was an evil dark wizard, and then fourth year when everyone thought he had put his name into the Goblet of Fire. But they never lasted, and he also had had his fair share of the good kind of attention, and while it embarrassed him, it was still better than that other kind. Severus had never had the other kind, just the bad attention. 

"Why does Sirius hate him so much?" Harry asked. 

Lupin shrugged. "In sixth year, Severus was mean. He said some very nasty things to your father, right after your father lost his parents, and Sirius was always getting into fist fights with him over it. Sirius always lost them, and Severus probably would have done some damage, but Rosier always got him up and off Sirius. Sirius is quite protective of his friends and he hates Severus for the way he made James feel that year." 

"Was he mean in seventh year?" Harry asked. 

"Sort of," Lupin said, no longer watching the game but staring at some blades of grass in his hand. "He still said mean things to us but they weren't as personal as they had been in sixth year, and he no longer followed us around all the time. He was usually with Florence Wilkes and Evan Rosier doing things together." 

"So," Harry said casually, "Severus was mean in fifth year too?" 

Lupin's head snapped up, his face sad. "No, he was nice." 

"Nice?!" Harry exclaimed, trying to sound as surprised as he was supposed to. 

Lupin laughed. "Yeah, he was," Lupin said, turning to him. "First through fifth year Severus was a pretty nice kid. James often wondered how he ended up in Slytherin. We found out the reason in sixth year, I guess." 

Harry chewed on his lip. He couldn't tell him, but maybe he could hint. "Maybe he lost someone. I've heard that losing family members can make people temporarily insane." 

Lupin stared at him, hard. Harry squirmed. "What makes you think he lost someone?" Lupin demanded. 

Harry shrugged. "Such a drastic change in a person indicates loss," he said, repeating something he had read once. "Why does it surprise you that I said that?" 

Lupin looked around, making sure no one was in earshot. "That's what I always thought." He leaned closer to Harry. "Have you ever heard of the Dark Forest?" 

"The Dark Forest?" Harry asked, perplexed. He was getting good at this, though he was wondering why Lupin would have brought that up, of all things. Did he know?! But how? 

"It's a place where dark witches and wizards live," Lupin explained, very quietly. "They can do their dark magic in there and not get caught. And teach their children all about the Dark Arts. There's even a blanket effect on the forest so children can use wands in it." 

"What does that have to do with Severus?" Harry asked, keeping his voice down. "I mean Professor Snape?" 

Lupin scratched his gray-streaked head. "I'm not sure, but I always thought he might come from there. He knew so much about the Dark Arts when he came to school and he already knew how to use a wand. I grew up around the Dark Forest, the only place werewolves are allowed to live, and Severus just really reminded me of the people that I saw coming in and out of it occasionally. Sallow skin for the most part, greasy hair, yellow teeth, and clothes that were poor. I don't know for sure, of course. And then the Ministry, getting a bright idea," Lupin said sarcastically, "attacked it the summer before our sixth year. All but two of the raiders were found the next day, burning on a pyre, slashed to pieces. The two that escaped told a gruesome tale. The raiders apparently managed to kill over two hundred dark witches and wizards before they were slaughtered." Harry had to resist the urge to snort. Bunch of liars. "Those two that got out were killed within a week, no one knows how. And then an order came out for anyone that is from the Dark Forest to be hunted down and killed. The Ministry tried attacking the Dark Forest again, but they kept getting repelled by something. Even now, no one dares to go into it, too many people have had bad experiences in it." 

Harry was pleased. Melusine was protecting it well. 

Lupin sighed. "Severus changed during that summer, and I never thought it was coincidence that it happened when that Dark Forest Raid occurred. I bet he lost someone in it. If that woman is his mother, maybe he lost his father. And coming back to school, terrified someone would find out and try to kill him, and angry that everyone was glad the Dark Forest had been attacked, had to have killed him," Lupin shrugged. "I might be totally wrong, but until I know for sure that he isn't from there, I just can't hate him for the way he acts. Don't tell anyone about my suspicions," Lupin warned. "People are still angry about that Dark Forest Raid and might try to do something to Severus." 

"I won't tell anyone," Harry promised, turning his attention back to the Quidditch game. 

Harry was going to have to write to Melusine and ask her if he could confide in Lupin about what was in Evan's Pensieve. It would be much better to be able to tell an adult, especially an adult like Lupin, about Severus and get their input and help. Owls had better be able to go into the Dark Forest or Harry would just have to take his broom and go himself. He just hoped that nothing happened to him while he was in it. 


	3. Order of the Phoenix

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter_. 

_Thanks for the great reviews!_

__

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 3: The Order of the Phoenix 

Mr. Weasley came back from work in the early evening, looking harried and worried. 

"I had a visit with Dumbledore today," he said, plopping down on the faded and worn-out sofa. 

"What did he say?" asked Mrs. Weasley as she mended some clothes with her wand. 

Harry, playing a game of chess with Ron, glanced at Lupin and Sirius. They were talking with Hermione about Harry's dad being a Prefect and what sort of things he did. Harry had a feeling she had become a Prefect but was too scared to tell Ron yet. 

"We are going to have a meeting of the Order tonight," he sighed, rubbing his temples and taking off his glasses. "Here, in fact." 

"Why is that bad?" Fred and George asked, looking up from their book on practical jokes. They were determined to make this year their best one yet in regards to the number and types of pranks they did. Harry felt sorry for Hogwarts. 

"Because we have to convince Melusine to join us," he said, sitting up straighter. 

"Who's Melusine?" Lupin asked, looking confused. 

Harry swallowed. Convince her? How did you convince someone to join you after you had attacked them? And did Mr. Weasley know where she was from? 

"She is the most powerful dark witch or wizard in the Dark Forest. She controls the others," Mr. Weasley explained amidst the sudden quiet. 

Harry raised an eyebrow. How did he know? 

"I thought that we had a death order out on them?" Sirius asked, looked worried. "And aren't they all evil?!" 

Mr. Weasley was about to say something when Dumbledore came walking in from the kitchen. 

"Here for the meeting?" Mr. Weasley asked. 

Dumbledore nodded his head, looking unusually grave. "I take it they know about Melusine?" he asked, staring at the white faces that were staring up at him. 

Mr. Weasley nodded his head. "Maybe you had better explain it. You know more than me." 

"What about the death order?" Sirius asked again. "And why are we trying to convince a dark witch to join us?" 

Dumbledore rubbed his long fingers together. "The death order was the Ministry's idea, not mine. The Ministry attacked the Dark Forest and the people that lived there defended themselves. It was brutal, very brutal, but understandable. I have never seen the reason to have a death order put out on them and I won't support it. As as for he being evil, I haven't seen anything to prove it. The live in an area that requires a certain amount of knowledge of the Dark Arts. They haven't bothered us and I won't bother them. But we need their help now. None of you present are to tell anyone, not even school friends, about where Melusine is from. Do I make myself clear?" he said, his tone hard and commanding. 

Harry quickly nodded his head, followed by the others. Harry was glad that Dumbledore didn't condone what the Ministry had done. 

"How did you contact her?" Lupin asked. "I've never known anyone that could get into the Dark Forest." 

"I didn't contact her," Dumbledore said, looking pensive. "I sent someone to her, to try to convince her not to join Voldemort now that he is reborn. They did but she is not convinced by any measure to join us. And that is what this meeting is going to be about." 

Harry had a prickling feeling in his spine. Convince her not to join Voldemort? Had she been about to? 

"Was she going to join Voldemort before?" Harry asked. 

Dumbledore looked at him, there was no twinkle in his eyes at all. "The day Voldemort tried to kill you and met his downfall, my friend had a letter from her telling him that she was going to join Voldemort the very next day." 

Harry felt his whole body go numb. Melusine had been about to join Voldemort? 

"How can you trust her then?!" Sirius exploded. 

Several people nodded their heads. 

"Melusine admits that she let her emotions get the better of her," Dumbledore explained. "She was tired of the Ministry attacking the Dark Forest, tired of the murders they were committing and wanted to find a way to end them. She thought she had found that way in Voldemort. Over the years since his fall she has calmed down and realized what a mistake she would have made. I sent my friend to her at the beginning of the summer in hopes of just that. I knew why she had been about to join and I was hoping she had calmed down enough to listen to us. I was right, thankfully." 

"So she won't join Voldemort?" Lupin asked, to clarify it. 

"No," Dumbledore affirmed. "But she might not join us either. My friend is having a difficult time trying to convince her to join us. He's even moved back into the Dark Forest to do so. She feels that it doesn't matter if Voldemort or the Ministry is in charge. They will probably get attacked either way." 

Harry rubbed his hands on his robe to get the sweat off his palms. The friend that Dumbledore kept mentioning had to be Severus. He had moved back there, eh? Harry wondered where he had been living before. 

"Who is this friend?" Harry asked before anyone could ask anything else. 

"Professor Snape," he answered to a few gasps. "He and Melusine are, or were, fairly close." 

"He's from the Dark Forest?!" Sirius asked, horrified. "I thought he was from Knockturn Alley." 

Dumbledore stroked his beard. "So did I." 

Lupin looked up. "I had a feeling he was from the Dark Forest." 

"What?!" Dumbledore asked as if stung. "You knew?" 

"No, I didn't know," Lupin answered quietly. "I grew up around the Dark Forest and Severus reminded me of the people that would come out of it once in a while. Greasy hair, sallow skin, poor, and very knowledgeable about the Dark Arts." 

Dumbledore shook his head, still stroking his beard. "I wished you had told me your suspicions. I got it into my head that he was from Knockturn Alley, your descriptions matches them to, and I believed it until he informed me otherwise. The summer the Dark Forest got raided was also the summer that Knockturn Alley quietly joined Voldemort. I had spies keeping me informed of what was happening there so I knew. I assumed that was why he had changed so much. He was gloating about Voldemort's rise to power. So many people were changing as Voldemort rose to power that I just took it for granted. I would have done some things much differently if I had known the truth," he sighed. "Anyway, the past can't be changed. And we must deal with the future." 

"How are we going to convince her to join us?" Mrs. Weasley, looking nervous at the idea of having a dark witch in her house. 

Dumbledore nodded to Harry. "I would like Harry there since he has had a few run-ins with Voldemort. I'm sure his account about what happened to Cedric will help." 

Harry doubted it. Katrina had only been nine and the Ministry had murdered her along with a few other even younger children. Why would the death of a seventeen year old convince Melusine to join them? But Harry just nodded and kept his opinions to himself. 

"Was that the task you sent Professor Snape on?" Hermione asked from beside Lupin. "To talk with Melusine?" 

Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes. They haven't communicated since that letter. It was a risk sending him to talk with her, not knowing if she still supported Voldemort, but it was one I had to take. If Voldemort was able to convince the dark witches and wizards in the Dark Forest to join him then we would be in more trouble than we already are in. Now we just have to get them on our side." 

For the rest of the evening, and as others showed up, they went through various ideas to use to get Melusine to join them. Harry knew none of them would work. He was the only one in this house who knew what the Dark Forest was really like and Harry, if he had been Melusine, would not have been convinced by any of the reasons that were given. 

Arabella Figg, Harry was shocked to see, was the same old lady that had always took care of him when the Dursleys went away. She gave Harry a hug and laughed with him about her cats. 

"I was an Auror back when I was younger," she smiled. "I was very glad to have been chosen, even though I'm old, to help protect you." 

Harry nodded his head. Voldemort had mentioned that Dumbledore had put a bunch of protections on him, much more than Harry even knew about, to keep him safe from Voldemort. 

Mundungus Fletcher turned out to be exactly how Harry pictured Fred and George at that age. Full of laughter, and jokes. Mr. Fletcher got a kick out of making Ginny's hair stand on end when he shook her hand. It straightened out right away, thankfully. Ginny laughed after she had peeked at a mirror to make sure her hair was back to normal. 

Hagrid immediately sat at the huge table that Dumbledore had conjured in the middle of the living room. All the furniture was shrunk and sitting on the fireplace mantle for the time being. 

"Where's Madame Maxime?" Fred asked, standing next to Hagrid, giving George a wink. 

"Beauxbaton' has already started," he explained gruffly. 

"Oh," George said, looking seriously at him. "A pity." 

Hagrid turned away, acting serious and nonchalant. 

Ron poked Harry in the ribs, trying not to laugh. 

Harry smiled and looked around at the almost full table. Only two people were missing. 

All the Weasley's kids were present, as was Hermione, but they weren't sitting at the table. They were sitting in chairs put up against the wall, behind Harry. 

A knock on the door sent everyone behind him scurrying to their seats and the noise died down. Harry gulped. Severus was going to be here, too. Harry hoped he didn't give himself away. 

Dumbledore answered the door. Melusine strode in, followed by Severus. They were both still wearing black. Severus looked as unpleasant as ever as his black eyes racked over everyone. He allowed himself to glare at Sirius for an instant, his face full of hate, before sitting down and looking at Dumbledore. 

Melusine didn't sit down. She stood behind her chair, gripping it. "We know why we are here. I shall listen to your reasons for this night only. If I'm not convinced, don't bother me again." Her voice had the same commanding tone in it that Dumbledore's had. 

The reasons came out fast and furious. That Voldemort was evil. He killed children. He was trying to take over the world. He had killed his own father. He killed people that were in his way. Nothing they were saying was convincing her, though. 

"Sirius Black tried to kill Severus when Severus got in his way, does that make Sirius evil?" she asked quietly. 

"Sirius was only sixteen," Dumbledore began. 

"You just told me that Voldemort was evil because he had killed his father. He did that around that age. But no one stopped him like they stopped Sirius. What's the difference between them?" 

Sirius was purple with rage. "I didn't... I mean... I'm nothing like him!" 

"Only because someone stopped you. Maybe," Melusine said, looking right at Sirius, "if no one had, you would have found that you enjoyed murdering people. Some people do, you know." 

Sirius started rise up when Lupin put a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down. 

"It was a stupid prank," Harry jumped. "A very stupid, moronic, immature prank. But Sirius is a hothead," Harry noticed everyone's eyes were on him. "And that is the difference. Voldemort planned his murders, carefully, and with premeditation. Sirius just didn't think things through. Maybe he thought Sever.. Snape.. Professor Snape wouldn't get hurt. Just get a glimpse of the werewolf and then get out somehow. He often doesn't think things through." 

Harry was more than aware of Sirius's eyes on him, looking shocked at what he was saying. But Melusine seemed placated. 

"True," she murmured. "But I'm afraid I see no difference between the two sides. The Dark Forest will still be in danger no matter who is in power. I see no reason to risk our lives for nothing." 

"What about the rest of us?" Mundungus Fletcher asked. "You would watch us all die?" 

Melusine raised an eyebrow. "You have sat by and watched us die." 

No one had an answer for that. She turned on her heel when Harry jumped up. 

"I need to talk with you!" he called. "If we can talk privately, I might be able to convince you to join our side. Please?" 

She shrugged at him. "You can try," she said as Harry, ignoring the funny looks everyone was giving him, rushed upstairs and motioned for her to follow him. 

"Why not the kitchen?" Mr. Weasley asked from below. 

"No, this is fine!" Harry called. 

As soon as Melusine was through the door, Harry shut it and locked it. He turned around. 

"I don't really care which side you are on," he began. "I just need your help in getting Severus's kids back for him." 

Melusine stepped backwards, her arms unfolded to hang at her sides. "What?" she asked, looking bewildered. 

Harry, kneeling down next to his trunk, explained everything to her about Evan Rosier's Pensieve and how he had gotten in the thing and how he knew all about her being a Seidr and what Dark Forests were really all about. He got the book out and handed it to her. 

"I can't understand it," he said sadly. 

Melusine flipped through the book. "I can," she said, her voice soft. 

Harry sighed, sinking down to the carpet. "Please get Severus's kids back for him. He must be worried sick about them." 

"He is," Melusine said, making the book disappear. "He thinks about them constantly, wondering what he did with them, hoping he didn't kill them." 

"Kill them?!" Harry asked, horrified. "What do you mean?" 

Melusine looked slightly angry but mostly sad. "His wife was killed the same day his daughter was born and then he had to hide them that night. He wasn't thinking right. I just hope they are okay. Evan was the one who told Severus his wife was dead. He must have put the charm on him then when he realized what Severus was about to do." 

"So he had a girl?" Harry asked. 

Melusine smiled. "A girl and boy. The boy would be seventeen and the girl fifteen, your age." 

So Severus's daughter would be in some of his classes. He hoped they found her. That would be cool. 

"Evan doesn't want Severus to know what we are doing until we find his children." 

"We?" Melusine asked, amused. 

Harry nodded his head. "I want to help." 

She looked pleased. "That will make it easier. I will need help getting some of the ingredients, I'm sure. We will need to communicate with each other." 

"Owls?" Harry suggested. 

"No," she said, and then put a hand out with the palm up. "Owls don't go into the Dark Forest." A blue sphere appeared in her hand with a hole down the center. "The wizard equivalent of a fax machine," she smiled. "Roll up your note and then put it in the center of the ball and tap it once. Your note will then appear in the one I have. Make sure to tap it only once, Harry. Severus has one to use in the upcoming school year and so do a couple of other people in the Dark Forest and you want the notes to come to me, not them." 

Harry nodded his head as he took the heavy sphere and pocketed it. 

Melusine looked him over. "Severus was right about you. You are a good person." 

Harry blushed like crazy. "Severus said that?!" 

"Yes, he did. He was rather upset about how guilty you felt about Cedric's death. He knows what that kind of guilt can do to a person and he doesn't want you turning out like him. For the first time in years, he felt sorry for a person besides himself." 

Melusine sat down on the bed Harry was using. Harry, feeling less threatened, sat next to her. "I've been working on him all summer. To help him get rid of some of his hate while he was busily trying to convince me to join your side. It's helped a bit." 

"I would like to be his friend," Harry told her. 

"Good, he could use one. Don't let him push you away, which he is going to do. Keep at it. Before we find his kids, it would be nice if he was rid of his anger and hate. He's almost there now but he still needs some help. And I thinking getting a friend or two on your side will help tremendously." 

"Can I tell Remus Lupin all about this?" Harry asked. "He wants to be friends with Severus, too. It would be nice having an adult's help in this." 

Melusine looked at him, her blue eyes piercing him. "Do you trust him?" 

"Yes," Harry answered without hesitation. 

"All right. Tell him how to use your sphere so he can send messages to me if he wants to." 

"I will," Harry said, pleased and overwhelmed about all this happening. It was almost as if Harry was supposed to get Severus's kids back for him. He just hoped this wasn't some sort of cruel joke and the kids turned out to be dead or something. 

"Thank you," Harry said, getting up and heading to the door. 

"No, thank you," Melusine said. 

Harry opened the door and they walked down the stairs. 

"Thanks to the arguments that both Severus and Harry have given me, I have decided to join your side," Melusine said, walking behind her chair again. 

Harry blushed as all eyes turned to him. 

"What did you say to her?" Fletcher asked. 

"Nothing you need to know about, Mundungus," Melusine answered for him. "I shall not be coming to any more meetings, I don't like leaving the Dark Forest for longer than necessary. But I shall send someone in my place. An old friend of mine named Urzula. I trust you will treat her with respect." 

"Of course," Dumbledore said, relief obvious in his voice. 

Harry watched as Melusine just disappeared. Severus followed suit. There was a great sigh from almost everyone present. 

"Good, she's on our side," Dumbledore said, greatly pleased. 

"Do you think she's dangerous?" Mrs. Figg asked. 

"No, she's not," Harry answered. Then all eyes turned to him and Harry shrugged helplessly. 

"What did you say to her?" Fletcher asked again. 

"I just explained to her about my encounters with Voldemort," Harry lied. "I didn't want to start crying in public." 

Lupin squeezed his arm gently. Harry felt bad for the lie but it was necessary. For the first time, Harry was beginning to realize why the Sorting Hat wanted him to be in Slytherin. Harry's end was to find Severus's children for him and he was willing to use any means to make it happen. Even lying to a bunch of adults. But Lupin would be told the truth soon. Harry hoped he would get a chance before they went to Hogwarts tomorrow. 


	4. Back to Hogwarts

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter_. 

Author's Note: _since author alert seems to be a paying service now, if you want to be e-mailed of updates just tell me in your review (with your e-mail address) and I shall e-mail you when I update_. 

_Thanks for the reviews again! I'm glad some of you like Melusine. Since she's an original character, I just didn't know. But she never will be a big part of the story, so don't worry. This is fun, keeping everyone guessing as to where or who Severus's kids are._

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 4: Back to Hogwarts 

Harry laid awake that night, his mind spinning on how he was going to tell Lupin about all this. And how was he going to manage to act normally around Severus? He was a Gryffindor, and despite his Slytherin traits, that meant he was brave. He'd handle it. Even if the entire Potions class stared at him like he had suddenly grown two heads, and for that matter, even if the entire school stared at him. 

Slipping out of bed around midnight, Harry made his way down into the kitchen to grab something to eat. Lupin was already there, sipping at some hot chocolate. 

"Couldn't sleep?" Harry asked, covering how excited he was to see Lupin here, all by himself. 

Lupin shook his head. "No. Too worried. The students know I'm a werewolf and I'm sure they are going to remind me of it." 

Especially that worm Draco, Harry thought bitterly. But then he remembered that Draco was Severus's nephew. 

"I want to talk with you," Harry said, sitting in the seat beside Lupin, forgetting about the food he had come down to eat. "It's about Severus." 

"What about him?" Lupin asked, looking at him strangely. 

Harry took a breath. "Did you know he was married?" 

"Florence Wilkes?" Lupin asked softly, putting his cup down. 

"Yes," Harry answered, ignoring the questioning look Lupin was giving him. No doubt Lupin wanted to know how Harry had found out about it. "And he has two kids." 

"What?" Lupin asked, his eyes wide. "He has kids?" 

Harry nodded as the house made funny settling noises. "When his wife died he did something with them and then obliterated his memory of what he had done. He was scared of the Ministry getting at them, or Voldemort. He has no idea of where they are. But," Harry took a deep breath, "Evan Rosier did a Remembrance Spell on Severus before Severus obliterated his memory and the information can be retrieved with a spell that Melusine is currently working on. We will need to help her gather ingredients for it. I would like your help. But I don't want to tell Severus what we are doing until we know that his kids are all right." 

Lupin's eyes had gone so wide, Harry was afraid they might fall out. And his face was white. "How did you find out about all this?" 

Harry shrugged. "I would rather not tell you but it is all true." 

"No wonder why he's so miserable," Lupin muttered, turning around to face the kitchen door, his body slumped. "I've been an idiot." 

"What do you mean?" Harry asked. 

"Third year," Lupin sighed. "I kept bothering Severus about how he frowns all the time and never looks happy. No wonder why he was so nasty to me when I did it. If I was him, I think I would have hit me." 

"Now that you know," Harry said, "you can be nicer to him and more understandable." 

Lupin nodded his head. "I will. Does Dumbledore know?" 

Harry shook his head. "No. I don't think it's something Severus likes to tell anyone about. He probably doesn't see the point since he thinks there's nothing anyone can do to help." 

"I'll help you," Lupin assured him. 

"Good," Harry said, sighing. "Melusine gave me a sphere that has a hole in it. I'm going to keep it in my trunk and I can communicate with her that way. If you ever want to, just roll up a piece of parchment with your note written on it and slip it in the hole and then tap it once. She said to be sure to only tap it once since other people, including Severus, also have them and we want our message to go to her and not them. Her messages will appear in it also and we just take them out." 

Lupin nodded distractedly. "I can't believe he has kids." 

Harry watched as Lupin continued to drink his hot chocolate with shaking hands. 

"He must be so scared," Lupin sighed. 

Harry, not having thought that the news would upset Lupin so much, laid a hand on his arm. Lupin had always been the sensitive one, though. Harry should have known it would have upset him a little. He didn't hate Severus like Sirius did, after all. "We'll find them." 

Lupin ran a shaking hand across his forehead. "Why didn't he give them to Dumbledore?" 

Harry looked away. "My source says that Severus felt Dumbledore had my dad, mom, and me to worry about and couldn't be bothered with his children." 

Lupin hit the table so hard with his hand that Harry heard the table crack. Startled, Harry looked at him with wide eyes. 

"You know," Lupin said hoarsely, "he's probably right. But Dumbledore had so many he had to protect that sometimes he had to pick and choose who he wanted to save. No wonder why Severus hates us all. We failed him." 

"Well," Harry said, "we won't fail him again. I, for one, plan on doing anything I have to to get his kids back for him." 

Lupin smiled at him. "Me too." 

"Me three," said a voice behind them. 

Harry whirled around to see Sirius taking off an invisibility cloak. His eyes were awfully bright. 

"How?" Harry asked, wondering when Sirius had stolen it, and feeling slightly mad. Though not much considering how bright Sirius's eyes were. 

"Dumbledore gave me one so I wouldn't have to stay in my dog form constantly. I was testing it out, following Lupin down and then preparing to scare him," Sirius explained, sitting down and sighing. "How old are his kids, do you know?" 

Harry nodded his head, glad that Sirius wasn't demanding to know how he knew all this. "Seventeen, that's the boy, and fifteen, that's the girl." 

"That's got to be tough, teaching kids that are the ages his kids are," Lupin muttered. 

"So, how are we going to go about getting his kids back?" Sirius asked. 

Harry shook his head. "That's Melusine's job. We just do what she asks us. You heard how to use the sphere?" Harry asked Sirius. 

Sirius nodded, scratching his head. "Yeah. But we have to do something besides sit on our hands and wait around." 

Harry looked at Sirius and decided to try for it. "Melusine said that it would be a good idea for Severus to be rid of his hate and anger before we find his kids. She's been working on it all summer and it's working but she feels that maybe having a friend or three on our side might help tremendously. Lupin and I are going to try for it. How about you?" Harry ventured. 

Sirius glanced at him, his face unsure and embarrassed. "He hates me and I kind of feel the same way. I want to help you get his kids back," Sirius carried on before Harry could protest, "but I don't know about being friends with him." 

Well, Harry decided, that was something. "Okay, then just me and Lupin will try. Melusine said that he would probably try to shove us away but not to let him." 

"I won't," Lupin promised. 

Harry yawned, glad to get one thing off his mind. "I'm going to bed," he announced. 

He left Lupin and Sirius still stilling there and when he had closed the door he heard Sirius's voice say, "No wonder why Snape acts insane." 

Harry was actually surprised that Sirius was so understanding, but then again, Sirius was probably the one person that did know what Severus was going through the most, having been away from Harry for twelve years, wondering what was going on in Harry's life. Wondering if Harry was safe. Lupin probably had wondered too but he could have found out easily enough by contacting Dumbledore, Sirius hadn't had that option, he had been left to worry. 

But, Harry guessed, that understanding still didn't make Sirius like Severus. Harry could see that. There were some people you felt sorry for and wanted to help but didn't want to become friends with. 

Harry went to bed, feeling relaxed for the first time since he had jumped headlong into that Pensieve. With two adults on his side, and Melusine, this might just work. 

Harry dreamed about a girl that looked like Katrina who, for some reason, was chasing Trevor the toad through the thick undergrowth of a forest. A boy was following her but Harry couldn't see his face. Voldemort appeared out of nowhere and aimed the killing curse at them. Harry started to scream when the girl dropped, pushing the boy down, and turned into a basilisk, causing Voldemort to turn into a stone statue that they dragged home, Harry still couldn't see the boy's face, and used for a lawn ornament. It was a favorite target of birds. 

It was a most satisfying dream. 

Rested, Harry got up and prepared for another trip to Hogwarts. He was nervous! Lupin and Sirius both looked exhausted. Harry had the feeling they had been up talking all night. 

The trip to Hogwarts seemed like a dream. Both Lupin and Sirius (in his invisibility cloak) slept while Ron and Harry played the Muggle card game of Uno. It was a quiet game and wouldn't wake anyone up. Hermione was reading a book on Prefects. Harry had the feeling she was trying to tell Ron, without actually saying it, that she was a Prefect. Harry just hoped that Ron wasn't too dense to get it, Harry certainly had. 

When the train finally stopped at Hogwarts, Lupin and Sirius (still in his cloak) went off to join the teachers while Ron, Hermione, and Harry went into the Great Hall and sat with the other Gryffindors. 

Severus was sitting next to Trelawney and Flitwick. Neither of them were talking to him, of course, but since neither of them were talking at all, Harry guessed that didn't matter much. 

As McGonagall read off the names of the first years, Harry darted a glance at the Slytherin table. Some of them, like Harry had figured, looked smug, like they knew something no one else did, but not the majority. Most just looked like they always had, scowling and unpleasant. 

After the last student had been sorted, Harry dug into his food, glancing occasionally at the Head Table. Severus didn't talk to anyone during his meal, which was normal for him, and left, with most of the Slytherins, right after he had finished. 

Harry went to bed right after his meal, while everyone else stayed in the common room and talked about the upcoming year. His dream was not so pleasant this night. Nagini was circling Severus as he stood in front of Voldemort. Severus wasn't reacting as Voldemort, with his wand pointed at Severus, muttered _Crucio_ over and over again. Severus's knees weren't even buckling, he just kept staring at Voldemort with his cold and dead black eyes. Voldemort finally had enough and set Nagini on him. Severus didn't even blink as the snake bit his leg, entwining her body around him. 

With a start, Harry woke up, glad that his scar wasn't hurting. It had just been a dream, not a vision of things happening. 

As they ate their breakfast, Harry looked over his schedule. Double Potions was first thing that morning, with the Slytherins. Harry's heart beat faster. He wanted a chance to see Severus but was also scared that he would give himself away. His feelings toward Severus had changed so much that everyone, and especially someone as sharp as Severus was, would be able to tell it instantly. No matter, Harry was just going to have to deal with it. 

Ron groaned at seeing what was first. Hermione didn't groan but she didn't smile either. Neville squeaked at seeing what was first. Harry wondered if Neville knew that Neville's dad had known Severus when they had been in school. Was that part of the reason Severus was so mean to Neville? Neville reminded him of Neville's dad, a man that two of Severus's own friends had tortured. Harry shuddered, not sure how he would have been able to handle teaching a child whose parents Ron or Hermione had tortured. What did you say to someone in that case? Maybe you just hoped they never found out. 

Harry grabbed his potions book and ran down into the dungeons, followed by Hermione and Ron, to grab a table near the front. Might as well start trying to make friends. Severus was at the blackboard, writing down ingredients. 

"Good morning, sir," Harry said brightly as he walked into the classroom and sat at the front table. 

Ron gawked at him. Hermione stared but sat down next to him anyway. Ron looked like he wanted to grab a back table but decided that having Hermione's help was worth sitting near the front. 

Severus looked at them oddly but didn't say anything as he went back to his writing. The class was mostly like all the others, except that Harry was paying attention and taking in every word Severus said. 

While Severus was lecturing at the beginning, Harry copied down what he was saying with rapt attention, glancing up at Severus once in awhile to show that he was listening. When it came time for the potion making process, Harry didn't even need Hermione's help. He carefully prepared the ingredients like Severus had said in his lecture and added them in the correct order. 

His potion turned the brilliant shade of purple it was supposed to. 

"Nice potion, Potter," Severus complimented to the astonishment of the entire class. 

Harry grinned up at him, not realizing until now how badly Severus must have been shaken up by Harry's guilt over Cedric's death. Melusine had been right about that. 

"Thank you, sir," Harry said. 

He went on to the other kids and Harry realized that while Severus wasn't exactly being nice, he was making an effort not to be too mean. Severus was probably so used to making waspish remarks that they just flew off his tongue and he had to work on not letting them. 

But, Harry saw, he had gotten more biased towards the Slytherins. Harry didn't mind. With Voldemort on the rise the Slytherins needed to know who they could turn to for help. 

Draco's, of course, was the best potion in the class, even though Harry's was a brighter purple. 

"He's so unfair!" Ron muttered as they packed up. 

Harry shrugged. "If Sev.. Snape wants to favor Draco, let him. Hermione is several teachers favorites and you don't get onto them for favoring her." 

Harry turned around to see Severus standing behind him, looking slightly surprised. Harry suddenly realized that he had never complimented Severus before or defended him or... thanked him. 

"By the way, sir," Harry began, as the rest of the class filed out, only Ron and Hermione remained, "I would like to thank you for saving my life in first year and trying to in third year. And for sticking up for me when Fudge was denying Voldemort's return. I'm sorry I didn't say so before, but I was just a kid back then. Thank you." 

Harry smiled at him again, noticing Severus looked too stunned to reply, and hurried out to make it to Divination. Ron, Hermione, and Severus were left standing there, all in shock. Hermione and Ron shook themselves, realized where they were, and hurried after him. 

"Are you crazy?!" Ron bellowed as they sprinted up the stairs. "He tried to get Sirius killed!" 

"I know that," Harry said calmly, "but Sev.. Snape did believe that Sirius was after me. He didn't know about Pettigrew or anything and he probably did believe that Lupin was helping Sirius, too. They had been old friends, after all." 

"Maybe," Ron muttered darkly. 

Hermione, with the Prefect badge pinned to her robe, just looked at him oddly. "I better go to Arthimancy." 

She left and Ron rounded on him. "Did you know that she was a Prefect?!" 

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. Good, Ron was so mad about Hermione's being a Prefect that he would forget about what had happened in Potions. "No," he lied, "when did she tell you?" 

"Last night," he muttered as they climbed up the ladder, "after you went to bed." 

Harry made sympathy noises in his throat as they went through the trapdoor. Nothing had changed in the way of decor or smell. Harry was going to have to ask someone to teach him a magical way to cool down his body for this class, it was stifling. 

Trelawney told Harry to watch out for a bushy brown haired girl who would be his doom. Harry snickered. Trelawney still didn't like Hermione for her running out of Divination in third year. 

The rest of the day was a blur. After the last class, Harry rushed up to his room and opened the trunk. There was a note, written on homemade paper. The paper was rough and had a greenish tint to it. 

The note, written in black ink, was short: 'Need the hair of someone who loves Severus. Put the hair in the vial I sent. If the clear liquid inside glows red, it means they love Severus, and send me at least ten of their hairs. The stronger the red glow, the better.' 

Harry plucked out the vial that had appeared in the hole and frowned. Who loved Severus? Harry liked him now, but that wasn't love. 

Testing, Harry plucked out a stray hair over his forehead with a wince and slipped it into the opened vial. A faint pinkish glow. 

Whose could he get? Dumbledore's? 

Harry was going to have to get Sirius and Lupin's help with this one. Sirius would be especially good with use of his own invisibility cloak. 


	5. Getting the Hairs

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter._

Author's Note: _this begins right after chapter 4, read the last part if this chapter confuses you_. 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 5: Getting the Hairs 

Harry closed the vial and tucked it into his robe pocket. He just hoped that Dumbledore loved Severus, because if he didn't, who did? Severus had been so nasty for so many years that Harry doubted if anyone even liked him, let alone loved him. 

Hiding the sphere underneath some belongings, Harry closed the trunk and headed out the dorm room. Ron was just coming in, looking gloomy. 

"What is it?" Harry asked. 

"Fred," he mumbled, "is now the Quidditch Captain, if you can believe that." 

Ron went to his bed and threw himself on it. Harry watched him, thinking. There was nothing wrong with being normal, like Ron was, but Ron was surrounded by 'special' people. Harry had survived Voldemort several times, Hermione was very smart and now a Prefect, even his own brothers usually had something going on, and Ginny was the only girl in the family and therefore special, too. But the only thing Ron was good at was chess. Maybe if they had a chess club at Hogwarts? Hermione was now a Prefect, maybe he could talk to her about it. He would after he talked with Lupin and Sirius. One thing at a time. 

Harry rushed downstairs to get to Lupin when he ran into Hermione, as she was coming through the portrait hole. 

"Where's Ron?" she asked, chewing on her bottom lip nervously. 

"Listen, Hermione," Harry said, "with you being a Prefect, and me being the Boy Who Lived, Ron is feeling worthless. I think that is why he's so angry about you becoming a Prefect. He felt you two were equal until now." 

Hermione sighed. "I know. That's why I didn't want to tell him. But I can't stop living." 

Her voice was high-pitched enough for Harry to realize that she was feeling very guilty about this. 

"Well," Harry said slowly, "Ron is really good at chess. Maybe if you started a chess club, or got McGonagall to start one, then Ron would have something to do and...." 

"That's a great idea!" Hermione interrupted, her face flushed with excitement. "I'll go talk with McGonagall. I'm sure she'll agree. It'll be perfect. Not all the kids in school are athletic and this will give those kids a chance to excel at something. Brilliant idea!" 

Hermione hugged Harry and kissed him on the cheek before scurrying back through the portrait hole. Harry blushed for a second, though he knew Hermione had no romantic feelings for him, those were reserved for Ron, he had still liked the kiss. 

Harry scrambled through the portrait hole himself and headed for Lupin's office. 

Spotting Severus walking down the hallway with a thick book in his hands, Harry waved to him. 

"Hello, sir!" he called happily. 

Severus stopped walking, an eyebrow raised, as he looked at Harry. Harry didn't stop. He just smiled as he passed him by. 

Turning the corner, Harry could see Severus still standing there, looking at him. 

"I'll be sure to have that role of parchment you wanted on calming potions by next class. I'm going to work very hard on it. Get Hermione to help a bit, too." 

Severus's face didn't give anything away but he was still staring at Harry as Harry went out of sight. Harry grinned to himself. He was going to break down Severus's stony resolve eventually. Maybe, once Severus got over the shock of it, he would start responding when Harry greeted him. 

Harry knocked on Lupin's office door and hurried in as it opened. Lupin closed the door and charmed it against intruders and eavesdroppers. 

"What is it?" Sirius asked, taking off his cloak. 

Harry extracted the vial from his pocket. "Melusine sent me this. I have to find someone who loves Severus and get ten of their hairs. To test the hair, just drop one of the hairs into the vial and if it glows red then they love him. The brighter the red glow, the better." 

Lupin looked at Sirius, his face nervous. "Uh, whose should we get?" 

Harry sat down at the desk. "Dumbledore?" he asked quietly. "Surely Dumbledore loves him." 

But from the look Lupin and Sirius were exchanging, they didn't think so. 

"Dumbledore trusts Severus and I'm sure, I think, I assume, likes him, but that is very different from love, Harry," Lupin gently explained. "We will try him, though." 

Sirius walked behind Harry. "We can test him right now. Dumbledore was here earlier and he, as usual, left some hair behind." 

Harry watched, feeling numb, as Sirius lifted up a long silver hair from the back of the chair Harry was sitting on and handed it to Harry. Reluctantly, not wanting to do away with the last shred of hope he had, Harry put the hair in the vial. 

Watching it, Harry could feel the tears stinging his eyes. It wasn't red, it was a bright pink. Dumbledore liked Severus, liked him a lot, but didn't love him. 

Hands descended on his shoulders. "We'll try others," Sirius assured him as Lupin gently took the vial from Harry's frozen hands. 

"But who?!" Harry half-screamed. 

"Draco," Lupin said. 

Harry laughed and then quit. Was that such a bad idea? But didn't Draco just pretend to like Severus because he was sucking up to the Head of his House? 

"Okay, I'll try," Harry said, reaching for the vial. 

Lupin held it away, shaking his gray-streaked head. "No. Sirius and I will do it. This has gotten you too upset." 

Harry stared up at Lupin, angry. "This is my job! He trusted me! He asked me to do it! Not you!" 

"Who trusted you?" Lupin asked, in that irritating gentle way he had. "Who asked you?" 

Harry turned away, seething. How dare they?! How dare they take over his job, his responsibility, his duty? 

"Harry," Sirius began. 

Harry shook his head and ducked out from underneath Sirius's hands. "Go away," he muttered, glaring at the desktop. 

"Harry," Lupin started, "I know you're angry. I don't blame you. But think about it. Sirius and I, as adults, are in a better position to do this than you." 

Harry wouldn't listen. The tears were trying to come but he wouldn't let them. 

"I'm sorry," Sirius suddenly said, handing the vial back to him. Harry latched onto it. "We had no right to try to take over. But don't do anything without one of us around. You are very emotional and might do something stupid." 

Harry wiped at his eyes. "I'm sorry, too. I'm just so scared. What if no one loves him? We'll never get his kids back for him." 

"Well," Lupin smiled, "at the rate you're going that might not be true for very long, even if it is true now." 

Not understanding, Harry looked up at Lupin. "What?" 

Sirius patted Harry on the back. "What he means is that you are starting to love Severus already, Harry. It might take a few weeks but you are getting there. Melusine strikes me as the patient type. I'm sure she'll wait if we have to. But we will try to find someone who loves him now, so don't worry. We aren't beaten yet." 

Harry, embarrassed over his outburst, and relieved at them not getting mad at him, smiled a bit. "Here's the vial back. You'll need it," he said, handing it back to Lupin. 

Lupin took it. "Don't worry, Harry. We will contact you as soon as we find someone." 

Nodding his head, Harry sighed, got up, and left. 

Sirius, having changed briefly into a dog while the door opened, then back again, looked at the door that Lupin had sealed once more. "He's taking this hard." 

Lupin just nodded his head, looking half-dazed. 

"I wonder who told him about all of this?" Sirius asked. "It couldn't have been Melusine. Harry dragged her off to talk with her, and I'm assuming it was about all this. But how did he know?" 

Lupin shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just hope we find someone or Harry's going to crack." 

Sirius sat on the edge of the desk, fiddling with Lupin's lesson book. "You really think he might crack?" 

"Yes. Harry's very sensitive. Like James was." 

Remembering him, Sirius nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. James would never play a practical joke on anyone that he didn't think could handle it. He even made me quit bothering Filch since Filch got so upset over them." 

Lupin looked at the vial in his hand. "I hope we can find someone." 

Sirius, seeing Lupin's hand trembling slightly, took the vial from him. James hadn't been the only sensitive one in their group. 

"I'll go to the Slytherins and see." 

Sirius slipped the vial in his pocket and put on the invisibility cloak. As he passed Lupin on the way to the door, he squeezed his friend's shoulder. Lupin shook himself and opened the door. 

It didn't take long to find a Slytherin. Snape was standing behind a large, angry-looking first-year. McGonagall was standing behind a skinny first-year, a Gryffindor it looked like, with a bloody nose. 

"Severus," McGonagall said icily, "what are you going to do about this?" 

Snape laid a hand on the Slytherin kid and shrugged. "Nothing. Your student deserved what he got." 

McGonagall looked furious and so was Sirius. How could Snape just stand by and let his kids beat on other students? 

Snape led his student away, while other Slytherin bystanders smirked, and walked to his office. Sirius followed him, determined to make Snape pay somehow. They may be trying to find Snape's kids for him, but that didn't mean they had to sit by and let Snape get away with stuff like this. 

Snape opened the door for the student and he walked in, followed by Sirius. 

"Why did you attack that first-year, Paul?" Snape asked as he sat behind his desk. He indicated the burly boy to take the seat on the other side. 

The kid sat, angry eyes regarding Snape. "He doesn't like hags. He said they were all ugly and deformed and...." the child trailed away, wiping at his eyes. 

"I'm sorry," Snape said gently. "Is your mum a hag?" 

The kid, Paul, looked away from Snape, tears running down his face. "Yes. I hate it here. I want to go home." 

Sirius felt his face burn. How many times had he insulted a Slytherin because they had looked like they had troll or hag blood in them? 

Snape pulled out a desk drawer. It was filled with candy. "What's your favorite candy?" he asked. 

"Blood lollipops," Paul said, wiping at his eyes. 

Snape searched until he found one and handed it to the still crying kid. Paul sucked on it and Sirius raised an eyebrow. That wasn't normal candy, Paul's face and body were slowly relaxing as he sucked on the lollipop. 

Paul grinned up at Snape. "This is very good." 

Snape smiled a little. "Thank you. I want you to talk with Millicent Bulstrode. Her mother is a hag, too. She runs a club for kids with hag parents. They do all sorts of stuff together. I think you'll enjoy your time at Hogwarts much more if you join them." 

Paul looked thoughtfully at Snape. "Can you introduce me to her?" he asked, almost shyly. 

Snape smiled. "Sure. I won't take any points off of Slytherin for your behavior over the next couple of weeks, not until you are more used to Hogwarts and can handle the insults that will be thrown your way," he added. 

Nodding his head, Paul got up, followed by Snape. Sirius slipped through the door behind them and walked with them to find this Millicent person. 

As they walked through the hallways, Sirius couldn't help but feel a bit chagrined for what he had been about to do to Snape. 

Millicent was in the Slytherin common room, surrounded by other kids that obviously had hag blood in them, too. Sirius had never been in the Slytherin part of the castle before and darted a look around. The room looked cold and dark and the greenish lamps gave off an eerie glow that the blazing fire did little to compensate for, but the kids sitting all around looked at home, and relaxed. 

"I like you to welcome your newest member, Paul Stone, his mum is a hag," Snape introduced the first-year. 

Millicent smiled at Paul. "Same here. Sit down. We were just planning a hike into the Forbidden Forest to gather Blue-Speckled mushrooms to make a batch of hag stew with," she said, tapping a piece of parchment she had on her lap. 

Paul licked his lips. "Yummy!" 

Millicent laughed. "The House-Elves don't know how to make it right, they cook for humans, so we make ourselves batches every year. Professor Snape has donated the use of his classroom for us to use on a Saturday. We can use three of his largest cauldrons so we can make plenty!" 

"Whose taking us into the Forest?" asked Paul, looking worried. 

"Professor Snape," Millicent said, nodding to the wall. "He always takes us." 

Sirius almost gasped. Snape had already gone. Oops. 

Paul smiled. "I like Professor Snape. He didn't even get mad at me for beating that idiot up." 

"That's because that Gryffindor deserved it," growled another kid in the group. I get so tired of them teasing us." 

"Let's not think about it," Millicent cautioned. "We have things to plan." 

The kids grumbled for a few seconds, obviously still very angry, but most of them settled down and started to plan on making the hag stew, which sounded rather complicated. 

But what was more interesting was Millicent. Every time Snape's name was brought up she sounded odd, like she was very respectful of him. 

Sirius walked around to her and carefully spotted a loose hair, making sure it was her hair and not someone else's, and pulled. It came away. Sirius hurried into the empty hallway that led to the dormitories, slipped the vial out, and stuck the hair in the hurriedly opened end. It was bright red. Sirius leaned against the wall, putting the lid back on the vial and placing it back in his pocket. 

They had found someone! 

"Professor Snape looked ill," came a voice. 

Sirius quickly made sure he was all the way invisible and waited for the people to pass. 

"He's just upset about that first-year," came Draco Malfoy's voice as he came into view. "He doesn't like it when his kids get teased." 

Crabbe and Goyle nodded their thick heads as they too came into view. 

"Did you get more candy?" asked Crabbe. 

Draco rolled his eyes. "Don't you ever think about anything but food?" 

Crabbe leered at him. "Sure, but polite little boys like you aren't supposed to know about those kinds of things." 

Draco's pale face flushed red. "Vincent!" 

Crabbe laughed, along with Goyle. Draco looked indignant. 

"That's not... I mean... don't talk about it..." Draco spluttered. 

Crabbe and Goyle fell into each other. 

"Humans!" Crabbe laughed. "They are so proper!" 

"Just the rich ones," Goyle added. 

Draco turned on his heel and marched away, leaving his two cronies to fall on the ground, laughing. 

Sirius snagged a hair from each of them, neither noticed even though he had to yank it out, and headed to where Draco had gone to. Sirius entered the Slytherin fifth year dorm and walked around the beds until he found Draco. 

He was sitting on his bed, the curtains mostly closed, reading a book with a bookmark by his side. Curious at the very good shape of the bookmark, Sirius looked down at it. It was from Snape. Just a brief note. 'Keep up the good work, Draco. I'm very proud to have you in my house. Professor Severus Snape, Year 3'. 

It was odd, most kids probably would have thrown that note away, but Draco hadn't. And as Sirius looked around he noticed a stack of notes that were on a night stand by Draco's bed. Each one was in as good a shape as the bookmark was. The top was dated during Draco's first year. 

Sirius carefully snagged a hair off Draco's bed. He walked to an area that was out of Draco's sight and put the hair in the vial. It glowed red too, just like Millicent's had. He checked Crabbe and Goyle's. Crabbe's was pink but Goyle's was red. 

This was so weird! How many other Slytherin students felt this way? 

Harry nervously paced Lupin's office. He was about to have to go to bed and wanted to know if he had something to send to Melusine tonight, but Sirius still wasn't back yet. 

"What's taking him so long?" Harry asked for the tenth time. 

Lupin shrugged. 

The door closed and Lupin charmed the door as the cloak came off of Sirius's body. Sirius was grinning and he had a stack of envelopes in his hand. 

"I found ten!" Sirius exclaimed, his eyes dancing. 

"Ten?" Harry asked, his heart racing. "Ten?" 

Sirius nodded his head, shaking the envelopes. "Can you believe it?! Let's just send them all to Melusine and let her decide which ones to use." 

"Who?" Lupin asked while Sirius went and sat down, resting his feet on the desk and groaning slightly. 

"I've been on my feet all day, it feels like," Sirius sighed. "I was testing every Slytherin I could find in the Slytherin dungeons. I didn't even get to all of them! I only know half of the names of the ones I did get. The names are Gregory Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, Draco Malfoy, Malcolm Baddock, and Graham Pritchard." 

Harry felt like someone had punched him in the stomach as he sat down. "The Slytherins? I don't love McGonagall," he said, confused. "Why do they love him?" 

Sirius shrugged. "Snape's relationship with the Slytherins isn't like the ones that the other Heads of Houses have. From what I overheard when I was in there, most of those kids view him as more of a father-figure than an authority figure. He's very nice to them, understands them, and they love him for it. And," Sirius said, thoughtfully, "he apparently, from the conversations I overheard, takes points off Slytherin all the time. He just never does it in public. Those kids really appreciate that. Many of them have gone to Snape and confessed to things they have done because they know no one but Snape will ever know about it." 

Harry sat still, letting what Sirius was saying sink in. 

"That's smart," Lupin commented, nodding his head. "Those kids know who they can turn to. Maybe, this time, Voldemort won't get nearly as many Slytherins as he did before." 

Sirius grinned, taking his feet off the table. "Many of the Slytherins I overheard will be on whatever side that Snape is on, whether it be Dumbledore's or Voldemort's. And many of the kids that were talking about joining Voldemort sounded unsure. I have to hand it to Snape, he's the best Head of House that Slytherin could possibly have right now. Dumbledore was right to put him there." 

"Do you want to be his friend now?" Harry jumped in as he took the envelopes from Sirius. 

Sirius shook his head. "I don't hate him anymore, but I still don't like him." 

Harry nodded his head, fingering the envelopes. Melusine would have them tonight. Pocketing them all, Harry nodded to both Lupin and Sirius and ran out the door. 

"Thank you!" he yelled back as he ran off down the halls, barely noticing where he was going, the tears making everything blurry. He had been so worried, so afraid that they wouldn't be able to find anyone. But they had found ten! 

Harry crashed into something and went sprawling to the ground. 

"Potter?" asked a familiar voice. 

Harry froze. Severus! He had crashed right into Severus! 

"I'm sorry!" Harry apologized, trying to get up, but his ankle hurt too bad. 

"You okay?" came Severus's voice as he extracted himself from the tangle and moved away. 

"My ankle," Harry said, grimacing, "I think I broke it," though Harry was rather aware that it might have been his emotional state that Severus was referring to and not his physical one. Severus would have seen the tears. 

Severus knelt next to Harry and felt his ankle. Harry winced in pain. Over Severus's head, Harry spotted Ron and Hermione coming toward him. Ron looked like he was about to launch himself at Severus, but Hermione held him back. 

"What's wrong, Professor Snape?" Hermione asked, moving around him to stand next to Harry. 

"Potter sprained his ankle," Severus said, taking his wand out and touching the tip to Harry's uncovered ankle. 

He mumbled a few words and Harry felt a soothing warmth flood the area, then a horrible ripping pain, and then more warmth. He didn't even have time to scream the pain had gone so quickly. 

"It's fine," Severus said, getting up and letting Ron and Hermione help Harry up. With that Severus brushed past them and headed to wherever he was going. 

Harry tested his ankle. It felt fine. He hopped on it. 

"Quit!" Ron gasped. "I'm sure Snape just pretended to fix your ankle. We need to get you to Pomfrey before it falls off." 

Harry rolled his eyes. "Severus fixed it, Ron," Harry said impatiently. 

Hermione looked at Harry oddly but she didn't say anything, instead she turned to Ron. "McGonagall is going to start a chess club tomorrow. I'm supposed to ask who would like to join," she said, sounding half-bored, "would you?" 

Ron stared, his mouth slightly opened. "A chess club?" 

Hermione nodded her head. "Someone asked her to create one. Did you?" 

Ron shook his head as his face split into a grin. "That is so cool!" 

They went off together, discussing the plans, while Harry raced to his dorm room and sent off the rolled up envelopes and a short note explaining why there were so many. 

Harry went to bed, but as the night wore on, he couldn't sleep. He was too wound up. Harry crawled out of bed and checked the sphere. A note was there. Grabbing it, Harry pulled his curtains shut and lit his wand with a tiny light. 

'Thank you for the hairs, Harry. Now for the next item. A photograph of Severus. Take one and send it to me along with a dab of his blood. Put the blood in a vial I sent. Have fun getting the blood!' 

Harry stared at the note. A dab of Severus's blood? What was he going to do? Stick a needle in the guy? That would really help with his cause of trying to be Severus's friend. And how was he going to take a picture of him? 


	6. Blood and Pictures

Body Disclaimer: all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter. 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 6: Pictures and Blood 

Waking the next morning, Harry mulled over how he was going to get the blood and picture as he crawled out of bed and got dressed. Harry had never taken pictures before and it would seem a bit strange if he was suddenly seen walking around with a camera. No one was seen walking around with a camera, for that matter, except for Colin Creevy. 

Harry slapped his forehead. Colin Creevy, of course. With Colin's near worship of him, it would be easy for Harry to ask him a favor. If Colin still worshipped him, that was. Harry had only caught glimpses of him so far this year and didn't know. 

"Hurry up!" Ron called from the doorway. "Lupin's class is first today!" 

Remembering, Harry grinned. "I hope he teaches like he did third year." 

"You reckon Moody's class will be better?" Ron asked as they headed down the stairs. 

Harry did not want to compare the two. Lupin and Moody taught differently, but he had learned the same amount in each class. But then he remembered he had never had a class with the real Alastor Moody. 

"We'll see by the end of this week," Harry said. 

Ron snorted. "If we survive Potions tomorrow. What were you thinking last class anyway?" Ron asked, stopping at the portrait hole to glare at Harry while Hermione joined them. "We are not sitting that close to Snape again!" 

Harry bristled. "I like sitting that close. Sever... Snape is fine this year, anyway." 

And with that, Harry clamored out of the portrait hole and stalked off, leaving bewildered Ron and Hermione behind him. He was getting tired of people talking badly about Severus. But then Harry's eye got Neville Longbottom as Neville scurried into the Great Hall. 

There were people that had good reason to dislike Severus. Neville certainly hadn't deserved to be treated like he had. Severus hadn't bothered Neville much last class, ignored him mostly, but that wasn't good either. Neville needed someone to like him as much as the Slytherins did. 

Maybe it was time that the 'Dream Team' added another member. The Marauder's had had four, after all. 

"Hey, Neville!" Harry called as he walked into the Great Hall. 

Neville, as usual, was sitting pretty much by himself at the Gryffindor Table. He occasionally sat by Dean Thomas or Seamus Finnigan, but they had their own group of friends and Neville wasn't a part of it. 

"What?" Neville asked as he fearfully looked up at the owls coming. 

Harry, seeing that there were enough empty seats around for Ron and Hermione, sat next to Neville. 

"How was your summer?" 

Neville shrugged, his round face paling as a package was dropped on his head. 

"Ouch!" he said as he put the package on the ground and glanced at Harry with a half-smile. "I'm always afraid Gran will send a Howler one of these years about how I keep forgetting things. She hasn't yet, though. Only two years left!" 

Harry smiled a little back at Neville. Did Neville have that great a relationship with his Gran? He seemed rather scared of her. He had seemed almost as scared of her as Severus, not having wanted that boggart to change into his grandmother in third year, either. 

"Did you do much over the summer?" Harry asked again. 

Neville shook his head. "No, just stayed around the house. Great Uncle Algie is rather ill right now and Gran has to take care of him. I hope he's okay." 

Wondering if Neville had any relatives that weren't old, Harry spotted Ron and Hermione as they came into the Great Hall and waved them over. Ron didn't look too pleased, but Hermione did. 

"Hello, Neville," she said. 

Neville blushed, which made Ron look even more ill-tempered. Harry wondered if Ron and Hermione were the only two people on the planet who didn't know they liked each other. 

"Can't wait for Lupin's class!" Hermione said as she piled her plate up with sausage, eggs, and pancakes. 

Harry followed suit. 

"I hope he doesn't make us do that boggart again," Neville said as he tipped the plate of sausages too far and they all rolled onto the table, leaving grease behind. 

"Neville!" Ron said impatiently as Hermione magicked all the sausages back onto the plate. 

"I don't think he'll do that," Harry jumped in as he noticed Neville looking embarrassed. "We know how to handle that one." 

Neville didn't look cheered up, he looked worse as he poked at his food. "The Unforgivable Curses?" he asked. 

"No," Harry said firmly, "that was last year." 

Harry felt a jolt in his stomach as he realized that the man that had been teaching them last year had been the same man that had tortured Neville's parents. How had Barty Crouch Junior managed to look at Neville, knowing what he had done? Crouch had seemed so sympathetic, had he been inwardly laughing his head off? 

Feeling anger shoot through him, Harry stabbed at a sausage and angrily bit into it. 

"Oh," Neville said quietly. 

Hermione, seeing how depressed Neville had suddenly gotten, started to talk about Muggle Studies that both her and Neville were taking. Ron rolled his eyes and Harry let his mind drift off. 

He was going to have to corner Colin somehow and ask him to take the picture. Hopefully sometime today so he could send it to Melusine quickly. But how was he going to get the blood? Stab Severus and apologize profusely while he caught the drips in a vial? That would really work, Harry thought sarcastically. Get a needle and take a sample of blood? But did wizards have needles? 

Harry scratched his head. 

"Can't wait for Transfiguration after lunch," came Hermione's voice. "We are transfiguring rocks into paper, or so I heard." 

Harry's ears pricked up. Rocks into paper? That sounded like something useful, unlike most of the transfigurations they had to do. Was that what Melusine used? Harry had assumed that the paper had been homemade, but maybe it was a rock turned into paper. Or maybe not. 

Too bad he couldn't change the vial into something and let the vial get the blood itself. But a needle with wings would seem a bit suspicious. A mosquito! That's what they were, basically. 

Harry turned to Hermione. "How do you change something into a mosquito?" 

"A mosquito?" she asked, looking bewildered. "Why would you want to do that? Aren't there enough mosquitoes in the world without adding to the population? They cause malaria, yellow fever...." 

"I heard it was on the OWLS," Harry lied. 

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, grabbing her books and sprinting off, to the library, Harry guessed. 

Harry almost felt bad about lying to Hermione like that. 

Ron shook his head and followed after Hermione, muttering about needing a book on chess. 

"She certainly goes to the library a lot," Neville commented. 

Harry nodded his head, trying to spot Colin Creevy. "Neville, want to come with me to ask Colin Creevy something?" 

Neville looked flattered. "Sure." 

Harry found Colin Creevy, in deep discussion with his little brother, as they looked over a photo album. Harry blushed as he realized most of the pictures were of him. 

"Colin?" Harry asked 

Colin snapped the album closed and turned to him, the awe still very much in his face. 

"Yes!" Colin said brightly. 

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking a picture of all my teachers. I would like to remember what they all look like," he said. 

Colin nodded his head. "Sure! I would love to. I can have them all by this weekend. Except for Snape's, of course." 

"Why not his?" Harry asked, a bit too quickly and panicky. 

Colin glanced at him, his face annoyed. "He cursed my camera when I was a first year so no pictures of him would turn out. It's just a black blur where he should be." 

"How about I buy you another camera?" Harry asked. "That way you can take a picture of him, too." 

Colin looked doubtful. "But what if he curses the camera again?" 

"He won't," Harry said. "He's not so mean this year. I bet he'll let you." 

Colin shrugged, not looking convinced. "Okay." 

"I'll get it for you tonight or tomorrow," Harry promised. 

Harry was about to leave when Dennis tugged on his arm. "Did you really see You-Know-Who last year? And that was really awesome what you did for Cedric. You must be really brave! How did You-Know-Who kill Cedric, anyway? Did you try and stop him? Of course you did." 

Harry stared. He had managed to forget about Cedric in his quest to help Severus get his kids back. It was something that Harry preferred to forget about. Why did Dennis have to bring it up? 

"I have to go," Harry said quickly as he backed into Neville and then hurriedly left the Great Hall, barely remembering in time to grab his bookbag. He saw Cho Chang leave the Great Hall and glance at him. There was no emotion on her face. She thought Cedric's death was his fault though, Harry could tell. 

Slinging his bookbag over his shoulder, Harry raced out the doors. He didn't want to see Hagrid, so he ran in the opposite direction. 

A swinging bench in a shaded alcove built in the stone wall, something Harry had never noticed before, caught his attention. Harry walked to it and sat down, dropping his bookbag by the bench. 

He curled up on the bench and closed his eyes. Why did Dennis have to mention Cedric? And why did he have to see Cho? He had been avoiding looking at the Ravenclaw Table since he had gotten back. 

The bench began to swing and Harry became dimly aware of the sound of thunder and rain. He glanced up to see a dark world with pouring rain. It reflected his mood perfectly. 

Harry fought back the tears. He hadn't cried about Cedric's death yet, not since that night in the hospital wing when Mrs. Weasley had sort-of hugged him, and Harry wasn't about to give in now. He'd get over it. He should have already. What was the matter with him? There were more important things. Just forget about it, Harry told himself. He had forgotten about it so far. He had to find Severus's kids for him, not wallow in his own guilty feelings. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Harry thought about the picture and blood he had to get. 

"I just need the blood now," Harry said, wiping his face quickly and getting ready to stand up. 

"Blood for what?" asked a voice beside him. 

Harry froze. He might have expected Sirius's or Lupin's, but not this voice. It was Severus. 

"A spell I'm working on," Harry admitted, "to keep busy." 

"Don't," came the voice again. 

"Don't what?" Harry asked, confused, as he turned to look at Severus. 

"Don't keep yourself so busy you don't get over this," Severus said, looking serious. 

Harry noticed all the hate and loathing for him was totally gone, replaced by obvious concern. 

"I should be over it," Harry said. "It was almost two or three months ago. I should be getting on with my life," Harry said, his voice cracking. 

"It's hard to get on with your life when you know Cedric can't do the same, isn't it?" 

Harry pulled his legs up underneath his chin. "It was easier at the Weasley's and at the Dursley's," Harry said. "No one mentioned it to me, really. They knew better and the Dursley's didn't know about it at all. All I had to worry about there was not getting in Dudley's way. But Dennis and Cho," Harry took a deep breath. "This is only the second day and I'm falling apart." 

"You need to fall apart," Severus told him. 

Harry looked over at him, feeling a few sprinkles of rain as the wind managed to blow some raindrops into the alcove. He shivered. 

"But," Harry shook his head, "I should be strong and get over it." 

"Harry," Severus said, the first time Harry had ever heard him use his first name, "you indirectly caused someone to die. You are not going to get over that in a few months. Dumbledore told me you never cried about it, correct?" 

Harry shook his head. "A little, but... I didn't want to." 

"I know," Severus smiled a little at him. "It's hard to scream, yell, and cry when everyone's looking at you, wanting you to be brave, telling you you are brave. There is no shame in crying, Harry. The sooner you let yourself fall apart the sooner you'll get over it. And, trust me, it will take you months, even years to get over it. You'll see Cho in the hallway and want to burst into tears. Or see a baby and wonder what Cedric's children would have looked like. Play Quidditch and look at the Hufflepuff team and want them to win to make up for what you feel like you did." 

Harry turned away, wanting to scream at him, tell him he didn't understand, but he did understand. If he hadn't let Florence and Evan into the Dark Forest that summer maybe they would both still be alive. 

"Don't turn out like me, Harry. Angry and bitter. Quit bottling up your emotions and let them out. Because if you don't, those feelings of guilt and pain will quickly turn into feelings of anger and hate. Why do you think I treated Neville like I did? What happened to his parents was partly my fault. You don't want to start treating people like I did to cover up for your own feelings. They don't deserve it. Let it out, Harry." 

The feelings of guilt that Harry had so carefully sunk into the bottom of his heart and stomped on, came swirling up. Harry had little recollection of exactly what he did then, but when it passed he was curled against Severus, sobbing into his robe, and his throat was burning and hurting. But, strangely, he felt better. 

Harry wanted to stop sobbing but Severus wasn't saying anything, wasn't telling him it would be okay or telling him to hush, Severus was just moving the swing and had an arm loosely draped around Harry, so Harry kept crying. 

Sniffling, Harry wiped at his eyes and sat up. "I feel silly," he admitted. 

Severus shrugged. "I know. But you need to do it. Lupin and Black will be able to help you, Harry. When something happens that brings Cedric back to your mind, go to Lupin or Black and tell them. They won't mind if you cry, either. You probably won't want to cry around Granger or Weasley so go to them instead." 

Harry nodded his head. Lupin and Sirius would be able to help. And Severus was correct, Harry had no intention of crying around Hermione or Ron. 

"Thank you," Harry said, not bothering to move away from him. "How did you know I was here?" 

"This is my bench. I made it when I first came here to teach and enchanted it so no student could find it. I did a spell over you yesterday at lunch so you could find it. I think it hit Black too because I saw something shimmer for a second and had to hit you again." 

"Why did you do that?" Harry asked, bewildered. 

Severus shifted a bit. "I asked a few people, overheard some conversations, and realized that you hadn't mourned for Cedric yet, not really. And with the way you were acting, this summer, and this school year, I figured you were about to crack. Smiling one second, depressed the next, being overly emotional, getting yourself too busy so you wouldn't have to think about Cedric. This bench is private, no one can find it but me and you, and maybe Black. I hoped you would find it one day and use it." 

Harry looked out at the rain. The Pensieve had caused some of his strange emotions, but some of it had been there already, waiting for a time to come through. Harry had thrown himself into finding Severus's children for him, so he wouldn't have to stop and think about what had happened with Cedric. And maybe, just maybe, if he found Severus's kids, then Harry could make up, in a small way, for what he had done to Cedric. 

"It's not your fault, Harry," Severus asserted. "Voldemort told Pettigrew to kill Cedric and Pettigrew did it. Those two are the ones to blame for it, not you. But I doubt that is much consolation to you." 

Harry smiled weakly. "Not much. Why do you blame yourself for what happened to Neville's parents?" Harry asked. 

"I was friends with the people that tortured his parents," Severus said heavily. "I never thought, in a million years, they were capable of something like that. They both had come from loving families. Perthia Lestrange's family was heavily into the Dark Arts, though. And John Lestrange's family was just weird. But I just never thought they would torture someone like that. I didn't even know they were Death Eaters until they got arrested for it. You expect people who have hard lives to turn bad, you understand that, but not someone who's had loving parents." 

Harry felt a shiver go through him. "So they were just evil?" 

"Yeah," Severus sighed. "Some people are." 

"What about Avery?" Harry asked, looking at the cold and dark outside world. It was awfully dark, though it was no longer raining. Harry moved closer to Severus as a chill went through him. 

"How do you know about him?" Severus asked, sounding confused. 

"Sirius told me you hung out with a group of people. Avery is the only one I don't know about." 

Severus stiffened. "What do you know about Rosier and Wilkes?" he asked, the swinging motion stopped. 

"Just that they are dead," Harry lied, feeling it wasn't his place to mention anything about them. That was Melusine's. At least Harry hoped Melusine and Severus were talking about them. 

"Robert Avery was poor," Severus said. "Not as poor as the Weasley's but too poor for Robert's taste. It bothered Robert and he set his sights on money. That's how the Dark Lord got him. Offered him a way to get that money and get it fast. All he cared about was money and fame. Even if Professor Mayor had been nice, I still think that Robert would have turned." 

Harry settled back as the swinging motion started up again. "I think you are the best Head of House Slytherin has ever had," Harry said. "But do you think you're still going to lose kids to Voldemort?" 

"Of course, Harry. The ones I'm trying to save are the ones that would have turned to him as a last resort, the ones that have no one else to turn to. But Slytherin is also the house where the power-hungry and ambitious kids get sent, so I'm going to lose kids to him." 

"Why are all the people that joined Voldemort from Slytherin?" Harry asked. "Why isn't anyone from the other houses evil?" 

Severus's face darkened. "Just because someone didn't join the Dark Lord doesn't mean they aren't evil." 

"Who are you thinking of?" Harry asked. 

"Lots of people. Harry, remember the Dark Lord is trying to take over the wizarding world, set up a new government, and he's into the Dark Arts, so it makes sense that power hungry people, people with ambition, and those who enjoy the Dark Arts would be drawn to him. And Slytherin is the only house that fits all the criteria. But there are plenty of evil people in the other houses, too. They just won't be trying to take over the world, so you might not notice that they are just as evil." 

Harry looked at him, feeling a shudder run through him. He had never really thought about it, but it was true. 

"You know," Harry began softly, seeing an image of a round-faced boy in his mind, "Neville could really use a friend." 

Severus's cheek twitched. "I know. I just hate looking at him. I should have known the Lestranges were Death Eaters. I shouldn't have let them being my friends blind me to reality. There were hints all over the place that they were Death Eaters. I just ignored them. They were the only friends I had left and didn't want to lose them too, I guess. I can't really remember," Severus muttered, "why I didn't notice." 

Harry moved an inch closer. "You can never get them back, but you can be nice to Neville for them. I don't think he has a good relationship with his grandmother. He seems just as scared of her as he does of you. He didn't want that boggart in third year turning into her and he seemed worried that it might. But he is a bit more afraid of you." 

Severus watched Harry's face for awhile. "If he finds out about me being friends with the Lestranges, then...." 

"Don't let him find out," Harry said, "tell him." 

Severus looked out at the darkness and Harry suddenly realized it was night. They had been here all day! 

"You got to, Severus," Harry pleaded. "You're wonderful with your Slytherins. Neville needs someone too! McGonagall is too harsh for him to get close too." 

"All right, I'll talk to him," Severus said, "if you promise me you won't ignore your feelings when they come up. That you will got to Black or Lupin and talk to them about it." 

"Promise," Harry said. 

Harry stared out at the night for awhile and then turned to Severus. He needed to get the stuff for Melusine and he had just wasted the entire day. "And I'm working on a spell, right now, to help calm me and I need some ingredients. One is a picture of you and another is some of your blood," Harry hazarded, thinking that asking couldn't hurt. 

Severus looked at him oddly. "Okay, but just promise me you won't get so caught up in whatever it is that you're doing that you forget to have emotions." 

"I won't," Harry said, "and if I do, I'm sure you'll do something about it." 

"I will. One angry bitter person is all this school can handle. It doesn't need two." 

Harry smiled a little. "You don't seem so angry or bitter anymore." 

"I'm working on it," Severus said, getting up and stretching a little. "When do you want the picture and the blood?" 

"Now," Harry said. "I have to give it to someone tonight." 

Severus took his wand out and conjured up a small white square that was obviously a photograph and a sewing needle. He poked his finger while Harry dug the vial out and let it catch the blood. 

"That's one of Melusine's," Severus observed. 

Harry shrugged. "She's the person whose helping me do the spell." 

Severus blinked but didn't say anything. 

"You better go see Lupin and Black," Severus said, putting a small band-aid on his finger he had conjured up. "I'm sure they're worried sick about you." 

"What about you?" Harry asked. "You've never missed a day before." 

Severus shook his head. "I told Dumbledore I would need a substitute on my way out to find you." 

Harry gathered his bookbag up and slipped the photo and the vial into his pocket. "Thank you." 

Severus nodded his head and swept out of the alcove and into the night. Harry slowly walked after him, feeling much calmer than he had since this whole thing had started. 

Harry walked into the still opened doors and saw Lupin standing there with Ron and Hermione. They all looked worried and were badgering Severus. Dumbledore was there, with a twinkle in his eye, watching the four of them. 

"I'm fine," Harry said, getting their attention. 

Hermione rushed over to him and hugged him. "Cho Chang told us that you had ran out the doors but we couldn't find you anywhere. Where were you?" 

Harry bit his lip. What was he going to say? That he had cried all day long? 

"I gave him detention," came Severus's oily voice. "He stabbed me with a needle this morning, for an illegal potion I'm sure, and I wanted him to pay for it. He's been working in the Forbidden Forest gathering rotten leaves for me all day. I thought I had told Lupin about it," he said, giving Lupin a stare that clearly indicated he had told Lupin about it. 

Lupin, who must have caught on somehow, nodded his head, blushing. "Oops!" 

Ron and Hermione gave Severus death glares and possessively hauled Harry away and up to Gryffindor Tower. Lupin came with them. 

"I can't believe him!" Ron said, shaking his head in disgust as they all crowded into the Common Room. "Making you miss a whole day of school just for detention! McGonagall is going to be furious!" 

Hermione shook her head, too. "He's worse this year, not better." 

Lupin cleared his throat. "I would like to talk to Harry, alone. I think he has cause to complain about Severus's behavior and I would like to go over it with him." 

Ron and Hermione, looking satisfied, let Lupin guide Harry out the Portrait Hole and into an unused classroom. Once the door was shut and charmed, Sirius appeared. 

Sirius looked worried. "Snape wasn't the only one to follow you. Are you okay?" 

So that was how Lupin had caught on so quickly. Sirius must have whispered what had happened in Lupin's ear. 

"Yeah," Harry sighed. "It's just harder here at Hogwarts. I thought I could handle it, that I was braver." 

"This has nothing to do with bravery," Sirius said, hugging Harry. 

Harry hugged him back. 

"Can I see that picture?" Sirius asked as Harry pulled away. 

Wiping his face dry, Harry reached into his pocket and handed the picture to Lupin and Sirius. Their mouths dropped. 

"What?" Harry asked, nervous. 

Sirius turned the picture around and Harry grinned widely, for the first time that day. 

It was a picture of a thirteen year old Severus, wearing red boxer shorts and a T-shirt with _Slytherins Rule and Gryffindors Smell_ in green and silver across it. His hair was spiked and purple and he was turning rocks into toads and they marched around him in a circle. Severus must have been listening to some music because he was swinging his hips in a rhythm of some kind. 

"Gryffindors Smell?" Lupin asked, turning the picture back around. "I never remember him saying that to us. And what is it with the toads?" 

Sirius was having trouble, he was looking outraged, jealous, and amused at the same time. He finally just put a hand to his mouth and nodded his head, shrugging his shoulders. 

Harry took the photo back. 

"Remember what Snape told you, Harry," Sirius said. "You can come to me and Lupin, whenever you need to." 

Harry smiled and headed back to his dorm room. He sent off the picture and vial and waited for the next instructions. 

'Severus told me about today. I'm glad you are finally letting it out, it has taken Severus years too. Severus thinks we are doing a spell that has to do with Voldemort and be sure to tell Lupin about that so he won't slip up around him. Don't include Severus on all the ingredients or he will guess what kind of spell we might be doing. The next ingredient is: the nail clippings of a cat that has been kissed by a Phoenix and ridden on a Unicorn. Severus can help with this.' 

Harry stared. How were they going to do that? Even with four people working on it that was going to be hard! 


	7. Which Cat?

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter_. 

Author's Note: _Thanks for the reviews! The feedback is wonderful. All creatures in this chapter are either creatures of mythology or Rowlings made them up, I claim none of them._

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 7: Which Cat? 

Waking the next morning, Harry yawned and rolled out of bed. Everyone but Neville was gone already. 

"Where's everyone?" Harry asked, slipping his robe over his head. 

Neville, sitting on his trunk, shrugged. "I think they are complaining to Professor McGonagall about what Snape did to you yesterday." 

Neville looked worried. 

"I'm all right, Neville," Harry said, surprised. 

Neville shook his head. "If Snape makes you miss a whole day of school just for accidentally sticking him with a needle, what is he going to do to me for melting a cauldron?!" 

So that was Neville's problem. Neville always melted a cauldron at least once a year, if not once a month, in potions. 

"He wasn't mad about the needle," Harry assured him, "just about what I was fixing to make. A highly dangerous and illegal potion. Professor Snape just wanted to make sure that I didn't make it. You'll be okay." 

Neville didn't look reassured. 

McGonagall walked into the room and motioned for Harry to follow her, her lips pressed into a thin white line. "Severus has gone too far this time," she said softly as they walked down the stairs. "Making a student miss an entire day of school and forcing Dumbledore to scramble for a substitute just so he could have his revenge." 

Harry wanted to tell her she had it all wrong but they walked into the Gryffindor Common Room that was full of kids looking annoyed. 

"I hope Snape gets suspended for this!" Ron said. 

"Yeah, maybe fired!" a third year said hopefully. 

Harry felt his stomach flop over. He ought to tell the truth, Severus was going to be even more hated than normal if he didn't. 

McGonagall took him straight into the teacher's staff room. Dumbledore was sitting at the head of the table, his eyes twinkling merrily, but most of the teachers were shooting Severus death glares. 

"His behavior has gone too far this time," McGonagall said, gripping Harry's shoulder hard. "Making Harry miss an entire day of school was uncalled for and irresponsible." 

"I agree," Professor Sprout said sadly. "Usually I try to see the reasons for Professor Snape's behavior, but not this time." 

Harry swallowed. Severus was leaning back in his chair, glaring at everyone from behind his curtain of greasy black hair, not offering any explanations for his behavior. No wonder why the Slytherins trusted him so much, he wouldn't squeal on them, no matter how nasty people treated him. 

Everyone was agreeing with Sprout, except Trelawney and Lupin, Harry noticed. 

"What are your feelings about this, Sibyll and Remus?" Dumbledore asked. 

"My inner eye is troubled," Trelawney said, putting a weary hand to her forehead. "It sees Harry next to a cauldron that is billowing out vile red smoke that is choking him!" she screamed. "He died! If Professor Snape hadn't done what he did then Harry would have gone on to make that potion and killed himself!" 

Trelawney rose, trembling, and rushed to Harry, engulfing him in a hug. "The inner eye never lies!" she sobbed onto his shoulder. "Harry, Harry, what ever would possess you to make the Draught of Living Death, it's dangerous!" 

Harry peeked around her arms to see the staff table. Dumbledore had a hand to his mouth, covering up a grin while McGonagall, who had taken a seat, was looking displeased. Most of the other teachers were looking bewildered. Severus's expression was hidden by his hair. 

Deciding to use this to his advantage and get Severus off the hook, Harry shrugged. "I wanted to give it to Voldemort. I handled him before. I can handle him again." 

Now the teachers glanced at Severus with a totally different look, one of understanding. 

"Harry, I hope you don't believe that!" Sprout said. "And making the Draught of Living Death is extremely dangerous!" 

"But," Harry said, swelling up like Mrs. Weasley did, "I'm the Boy Who Lived! Voldemort can't hurt me and neither can some silly potion," he declared solemnly. 

That did it. Now everyone in the staff room was mad at him and not Severus. Most of the teachers started talking to Harry at once, telling him he was insane, that he wasn't immortal, that he had better be careful, that he had just been very lucky so far but his luck was bound to run out, and that if he didn't watch it they would make sure Severus handled his detentions from now on since he was so good at them. 

"I shall have a long talk with Harry," Dumbledore said, and the noise died down. 

The teachers, most shooting Harry concerned looks, all got up and left. 

"Careful, Harry," Hagrid said on his way out. "Don' be a fool." 

Harry had the grace to blush as the door closed and Dumbledore sent a sealing spell at it. 

Sirius appeared, standing behind Dumbledore with a grin on his face. "I almost believed you there, Harry." 

"Yes, Harry is getting very good at lying," Dumbledore remarked. "I know Severus appreciates what you did for him, Harry." 

Harry smiled. "It was the least I could do for him after what he did for me yesterday." 

Dumbledore's eyes quit twinkling. "Yes, Severus told me about that. Are you all right?" 

Harry nodded his head and then slightly shook it. "Not yet, but I'm getting there." 

"That is good," Dumbledore said, looking pleased. "Well, now that we've had our talk, you can go, and be sure to look properly ashamed of yourself as you leave. And remember, one toe out of line and Professor Snape will be in charge of giving you another horrible detention." 

Harry smiled. "It was very wrong of me," Harry nodded his head, contorting his face into a look of embarrassment. 

When Sirius was properly covered, Harry left the room to see several teachers still standing there. They noticed his look and nodded, satisfied that Harry had been properly chastened for his disillusion. 

Harry wondered slightly why Trelawney would have seen him making that potion as he walked to his dorm room to collect his bookbag. She might have been lying about it, but why? Maybe she just got a kick out of telling Harry the various ways he could die. She certainly did seem to enjoy it. Harry shook these thoughts from his mind as he grabbed his bookbag and sprinted for the Great Hall, not wanting to miss breakfast. 

Sliding into his seat, in-between Ron and Hermione, Harry made himself blush. "I just got chewed out by Dumbledore. I guess I had better not try to defeat Voldemort on my own like I had been planning on. Severus.... I mean Professor Snape is going to be in charge of my detentions from now on if I step one toe out of line." 

Ron and Hermione stared at him. 

"You were planning on defeating You-Know-Who?" Ron asked, shocked, angry, and impressed. "All by yourself? Are you mad?!" 

Harry pretended to looked abashed as he piled scrambled eggs and toast on his plate. "Yes, I know. Stupid, stupid, stupid idea." 

"I'll say," Hermione agreed. "I can't find out how to transfigure something into a mosquito!" she said, sounding horrified. "The spell is no where! I'm going to fail the OWLS, I just know it!" she almost screamed, sounding hysterical. 

Harry looked at her. Was this the way she was going to be acting from now on? Seventh year would be a nightmare! 

"Uh," Harry began, thinking hard, "those kids that I overheard said that they were just joking. They wanted to make some fifth years panic." 

Hermione's head fell on the table. "Oh! Thank goodness!" she said, sounding muffled. 

Harry gently patted her on the back, feeling guilty. He was going to have to watch the lies he told Hermione, she took things way too seriously that had to do with schoolwork. 

"Harry," came Colin's voice from behind him. 

Harry turned around to see Colin and Dennis, smiling at him with a stack of photographs in each of their hands. 

"We have the pictures you wanted," Colin said, handing him his stack of photographs. "Professor Snape took the curse off my camera this morning when I asked him to so I got him too! You don't have to buy me another camera at all!" 

Harry, not needing them anymore, looked through them. These were great! Lockhart was even in the stack, standing next to the cage of pixies he had unleashed in Harry's class. The number of pixies was small, only being the ones that he, Hermione, and Ron had managed to catch and put back in there. 

Smiling, Harry glanced up. "These are great! Thank you!" 

Colin and Dennis both blushed. "You're welcome," they mumbled. 

"We could get some of the students if you want!" Colin volunteered, acting like himself again. 

"Okay, that would be really cool. I'll pay for the film and developing," Harry promised. 

Colin shook his head. "No, we can pay for it. I like taking pictures. I'm running out of albums to put them in, though," Colin laughed. 

Harry had an idea for a Christmas present for him. Albums and film from an anonymous giver. 

"Thanks!" Harry said again, taking the other stack from Dennis. 

They both blushed again and left, snapping pictures of various students as they went. 

Ron took a stack and looked through it while Harry and Hermione shared one. Looking up from a picture of a scowling McGonagall, Harry noticed Neville, and waved him over. 

"Want to see these pictures?" Harry asked. 

Neville nodded his head and started over. 

"What did you invite _him_ over for?" Ron accused, making it sound like he had invited Draco Malfoy over and not Neville. 

Harry glared at Ron. "He needs a friend!" he hissed. 

"Why does it have to be us?!" Ron hissed back. 

Harry blinked. What was with Ron? Couldn't he see that Neville had no friends, and that Neville needed one? Maybe, he just didn't care. Like Harry hadn't cared for four years. 

"I think it's a good idea," Hermione whispered as Neville joined them. 

Ron moved to sit next to Hermione and Harry scooted one seat over to sit next to Neville. Before Neville had a chance to ask, or wonder, why Ron had moved seats, Harry started to show him the pictures. 

Quirrell was even in the stack. Harry's scar twinged faintly in remembered pain and Harry quickly moved him to the back of the stack. Hagrid was next, standing next to a giant Blast-Ended Skrewt. He looked happy. 

Shaking his head, Harry flipped through the stack until he got to Severus. His face was barely visible from behind his hair. Harry had an insane desire to get a pair of scissors and cut Severus's bangs. 

Harry shook his head and tucked the stack in his bookbag, along with the stack that Hermione handed him. 

"I need to talk with Lupin before class starts today, I'll be right back," Harry said, excusing himself. 

Hermione started to make polite conversation with Neville but Ron ignored them both and started to talk with Lavender. Harry glared at the back of Ron's head as he approached Lupin. 

"Lupin, can I talk with you?" Harry asked. 

Lupin nodded his head and they walked to an empty classroom. Sirius appeared once the door was properly taken care of. 

"Yes?" Lupin asked. 

"The next ingredient is the nail clippings of a cat that has been kissed by a Phoenix and ridden on a Unicorn," Harry said. Both Sirius and Lupin flinched. "Plus, Severus knows that I'm working on a spell with Melusine but he thinks it has something to do with Voldemort so be sure to act like it does when he's around. He's going to help us with some of the ingredients, but not all or he might guess what kind of spell we are doing. And now, why did you two flinch?" 

Sirius and Lupin exchanged glances. 

"Harry," Lupin said softly, "Unicorns are pure creatures and cats are not. Cats are neither bad nor good but they still can't touch a Unicorn." 

"But humans can?" Harry questioned. 

"Humans can be either good or bad, that's why. Cats can't be. And if a Unicorn is touched by something or someone that isn't good they are seriously weakened," Sirius went on to explain. "Teenagers can sometimes touch Unicorns but it does weaken them if they aren't good." 

Lupin nodded his head. "That was rather irresponsible of that woman to let you touch that Unicorn in fourth-year," he muttered. "Only children can touch a Unicorn with no ill-effect on it." 

Harry bit his lower lip but refused to be worried about this. They would find a way. Melusine wouldn't have given it to him if there wasn't a way. 

"Let's ask Severus about it," Harry decided. 

"I'll go get him," Sirius volunteered. "He won't be able to refuse me since he can't talk back to me without everyone thinking he's nuts." 

"Everyone already thinks that," Lupin remarked dryly. 

Sirius grinned. "So true." 

He left and Harry looked at Lupin. He looked troubled. 

"What?" 

"Oh," Lupin muttered. "You calling Severus by his first name just made me realize that I've never heard Severus use anyone's first name since I've been here. Not even in third year." 

"He called Karkaroff by his first name," Harry volunteered. 

Lupin shook his head. "Great. He calls Death Eaters by their first name but not us. That can't be good." 

Harry felt a tingling sensation up and down his spine. "You don't think he wants to join them again, do you?" 

Lupin looked at him, frowning. "No," he said with conviction, "it's just that it smacks of a familiarity he doesn't have with our side. That can't be good for him to view Death Eaters as friends and not us. He'll never betray us but how happy is someone who doesn't have any friends on the side they are on?" 

"I'm trying to be his friend," Harry said quickly, sitting down at a desk. 

Lupin sat on the edge of the teacher's desk. "So am I. I just hope it works." 

The door opened and Severus came walking in, still hiding behind his hair. He shut the door and Lupin threw a spell at it. Sirius uncovered himself, standing next to Harry and Lupin. 

"Yes?" Severus said without preamble and without coming further into the room. 

"We have to get the nail clippings of a cat that has been kissed by a Phoenix and ridden a Unicorn," Harry explained. 

"Which cat do you want to use?" Severus asked. 

"First," Sirius said, "how are we going to get a cat to ride a Unicorn? It'll hurt the Unicorn." 

As much as Harry hated to admit it, he was willing to hurt a Unicorn if it meant getting Severus's kids back. 

Severus sneered and then seemed to remember he wasn't supposed to be sneering anymore, so he frowned. "Unicorn just means one-horned. There are several types. The Karkadann, which is a lion with one horn; the Sin-You, which is a wolf with one horn; and the Chi-Lin, which is a stag with one horn. There's also the Ki-Rin, which is the type of Unicorn that we will be using." 

Harry had never heard of them before! "How come we aren't taught about those?" 

"Because they are Dark Arts creatures and only people skilled in the Dark Arts have ever see them," Severus explained. "You'll find them in any good Dark Arts book on Dark Arts Creatures." 

"Have you seen them all?" Harry wondered. 

"Of course," Severus said, turning to the door. "Meet me by the edge of the Forbidden Forest this evening at midnight and make sure to get the cat, whichever one you three choose, kissed by Fawkes before then." 

Sirius covered himself and Severus left. 

"No wonder why Melusine wanted him on this one," Harry said. "I wonder if I could get a book on Dark Arts Creatures?" 

Lupin shook his head. "It's a Dark Arts book, Harry. They're illegal." 

"Oh," Harry muttered. "Does Knockturn Alley have a bookstore?" he asked, trying to sound casual. 

Sirius shrugged. "I don't know. I tried sneaking into Knockturn Alley when I was a teenager but your dad always held me back. Threatened to write a lengthy note about it to my parents," Sirius scowled. 

"Good," Lupin growled. "That place can be dangerous." 

"Snape goes into it!" Sirius said, sounding jealous. 

"Severus is also very adept at the Dark Arts, you aren't." 

Sirius glowered some more. 

Harry decided to change the subject before Sirius got even more upset. "Which cat?" 

"Well," Sirius began, "there's Crookshanks, Mrs. Norris, McGonagall in her Animagus form, and a ton of other cats that kids have brought as pets." 

"Not Mrs. Norris," Lupin said. "She's Filch's only friend. And McGonagall won't work, she'll know what we are up to. Crookshanks might work." 

Harry nodded his head. It would be easy to steal Crookshanks from Hermione for a night, the cat usually wondered around Gryffindor castle by itself at night anyway. 

"Okay," Harry said. "Let's meet outside of Dumbledore's gargoyle at eleven thirty. I'll bring Crookshanks." 

It was agreed on and Harry headed off to his first class, Potions. They had to make a health potion for carrot plants. Neville, for the first time, not only did his potion right, it was the best in the class. Severus mentioning that all the potions were going to be given to Professor Sprout for her greenhouse might have helped Neville's ability. 

Severus actually praised Neville with a "Very good job, Longbottom," before telling Draco that Draco's potion was the best in the class. 

Neville didn't care about the favoritism, he was too busy staring at his potion, his mouth slack. 

"I did it right!" he breathed. 

Harry patted Neville on the shoulder. "See, you can do potions. You just have to want to." 

Harry impatiently waited for the day to end. In History of Magic, Harry, being bored to tears, went over some of the things he had learned in the Pensieve and then remembered something that had been tugging at the back of his mind for awhile. 

He raised a hand. Everyone stared at him. Hermione, in second year, was the only other person that had ever asked a question in this class before. 

Professor Binns looked askance. "Yes, Parkins?" 

"What do you know about someone named Sandor? Was he a Dark Wizard?" 

Binns's eyes widened. "Where did you hear about him?" 

Harry shrugged. "I overheard two people talking about him," Harry said truthfully. 

Binns, to Harry's surprise, looked uncomfortable. "The story of Sandor isn't documented anywhere. Now during the convention..." 

"Wait!" Harry cried. "You obviously know it, now what is it?" 

"It's not something that should be discussed in fifth year," Binns stated. "You won't learn it in sixth or seventh year either. Now back to the convention of...." 

"Wait!" Harry cried again. "I now a little bit about it already!" 

To Harry's surprise, Binns floated over and motioned to the door. "I'll talk to you outside the classroom." 

Harry followed him. 

Binns puffed his cheeks out and blew out a breath once they were safely out of earshot of anyone. "Sandor was a Dark Wizard who lived three hundred years ago..." 

Three hundred years ago! Melusine and Urzula were that old! 

"....in the area that is now known as the Ukraine. He began to take over the Wizarding world of that area and the surrounding countries," Binns shifted a little, looking nervous. "He won. Apparently," now he looked really nervous, "even though he was a Dark Wizard he was less corrupt than the people already in power." Harry frowned. "His reign turned out to be beneficial. He may have been a Dark Wizard but he was much more just than the magic governments that had been in place before he took over. The people under him thrived." 

Harry felt a nervous twitching in his stomach. The Ministry was fairly corrupt, Harry had been given a front row seat to seeing that, but they had to be better than Voldemort. Didn't they? 

"That is why we don't teach about him. It's confusing and with You-Know-Who on the rise people may get scared, wondering if You-Know-Who will win." 

Harry wondered if Voldemort would win. Good always triumphed over evil but who won win two evil groups went at it? Harry shuddered. 

"I won't mention him to anyone." 

Binns stared at him. "Good." 

They went back into the classroom. Harry modeled his face into one of indifference and disappointment. 

"What's the story?" Seamus Finnigan asked, cornering Harry on the way out of class. 

Harry screwed up his face. "A sordid tale that has to do with cheese and mushrooms. It isn't discussed for a reason," Harry said delicately, and shivered. 

A few people looked rather intrigued but no one looked suspicious. Dumbledore was right, he was getting good at lying. Harry was going to have to watch it. 

Harry forced himself not to think about the Ministry or Voldemort. He was on Dumbledore's side and that was the good side, and that was all he needed to know. 

Night finally rolled around and Harry slipped on the invisibility cloak and snuck down the stairs, grabbing Crookshanks along the way and tucking him under the cloak. Getting to the gargoyle was easy, Peeves was nowhere around, and Lupin was standing there, trying to look natural. 

The password was lemon frogs and Fawkes was easy to convince to kiss Crookshanks on the head. 

"Now for the Ki-Rin," Lupin said. "I wonder what it looks like?" 

Sirius shrugged, putting his own invisibility cloak back on while Harry did the same. Lupin was carrying the cat now. The made it to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where Severus was waiting, and he led them along the edge to the side that didn't border the castle. It was dark and Sirius and Harry took their hoods off. 

"That looks freaky," Lupin said, gazing at Harry's and Sirius's floating heads. 

Sirius grinned. 

"What's a Ki-Rin?" Harry asked. 

"You'll see," Severus said, the first words he had spoken so far. 

"What color is it?" Harry asked, determined to make him talk. 

"You'll see," Severus said again, and then he blew on the end of a piece of wood in a twisting circle form. The two ends didn't connect. 

"Here's Chelsea," he said, smiling slightly. 

Harry turned his attention to the Forest and nearly screamed. The animal that was coming was horse-like with a gleaming copper body, two giant wings that looked like flames coming from its shoulder and a twisting dark golden horn. Its mane was flame-like also and its hooves, Harry noticed, were blood red. He hoped they were naturally red and that wasn't actually blood. The Ki-Rin's eyes were large and dark blue with copper flecks 

"Chelsea has agreed to help us." 

Crookshanks jumped out of Lupin's arms and landed on Severus's shoulders were it leaped off to land on the Ki-Rin's back. The cat purred. 

"Someone's going to need to ride with Crookshanks so he won't fall off," Severus stated. 

Sirius opened his mouth to ask why Severus couldn't do it when Lupin shrugged and went to the Ki-Rin. 

"Any special instructions?" he asked, as Sirius helped him up. 

"No," Severus said. "Just hold on to the mane. Ki-Rin's manes are very strong and she won't feel it." 

Lupin gulped, held onto Crookshanks with one arm and grabbed a handful of mane. The Ki-Rin tucked its wings to its side and streaked away, across the field that lay by the Forbidden Forest. It's mane, tail, and wings made the Ki-Rin look like a moving fire. 

Harry wished he had been the one to ride it. 

"Those things are beautiful!" Harry stated, staring at the Ki-Rin in wonder as it slowed down and headed back. 

"That they are," Severus agreed from behind him. 

The Ki-Rin came back to them and Lupin slid off of it, grinning. Crookshanks was purring madly as Lupin handed him to Harry. 

"I think I'm going to get one," Lupin said seriously. 

Harry nodded his head, watching the Ki-Rin nuzzle Severus's neck and then gallop into the Forbidden Forest. 

"You can't," Severus said. "Ki-Rin's get the humans." 

"What?" Sirius asked. 

Severus waved in back of him. "Ki-Rin's aren't pets. Humans can't keep them like they keep horses or even Unicorns. Ki-Rins aren't tamable. And you never, ever, halter or bridle one. They'll kill you in a second for doing it." 

Harry was beginning to see why they were considered Dark Arts creatures. "But how did you get one?" 

Severus shook his head, looking disgusted and then he frowned, properly remembering, again, he wasn't supposed to be nasty anymore. "I didn't get one. I'm, uh, I'm...." he trailed off lightly, slightly embarrassed. 

Harry, never having seen Severus embarrassed before, was curious. 

"What is it?" Lupin asked before Harry could. 

Severus straightened up, his hair falling forward to hide his face even more. "I'm her pet." 

"What?!" Sirius laughed. 

"You're her pet?!" Lupin asked, bewildered, pointing a finger at Severus. 

"Yes," Severus said stiffly, "I wanted to be able to see Chelsea whenever I wanted to and the only way to do it was to become her pet." 

"You see," Sirius said, in pleasure. "You are crazy!" 

Harry had to agree. 

"I think its nice," Lupin said. "Its about time some humans became pets instead of being the ones that always have them." 

Severus nodded his head. "Exactly." 

And with that, Severus strode back to the castle, his black cloak billowing out behind him. Lupin followed him, he wore no cloak but his robe was doing it's best to imitate Severus's cloak. 

"They're both crazy!" Sirius laughed. 

Sirius got out some animal nail clippers and gently clipped Crookshanks's claws while Harry held him, putting the clippings in a small satchel that would fit into the sphere. 

He handed it to Harry and then they both put their hoods back over their heads and headed back to the castle. Sirius said good-bye as he either headed to Hagrid's or Lupin's. Harry released Crookshanks onto a soft chair in the Common Room and headed to his dorm room. 

Once there, he put the satchel in the sphere, scribbled a note that mentioned they had used a Ki-Rin and that Severus was her pet, and then patted the sphere once. They disappeared and Harry waited. 

The note came back, written on blue paper with red specks. The ink was black again. 

'Yes, you will find that the Ki-Rin isn't the only Dark Arts Creature Severus is the pet of. The next ingredient is the fresh droppings of a Mooncalf. Don't include Severus on this one. The droppings are only used in Remembrance Spells and he will wonder what that has to do with Voldemort.' 

'Ewww!' Harry thought. 'That's disgusting.' 

Harry dug for his book on Fantastic Beasts and looked up Mooncalf. Found worldwide and only on the full moon! Lupin couldn't help and neither could Severus. It would just be him and Sirius this time. They would have time to plan this one out since the full moon wasn't until the middle of next week. 

Crawling into bed, Harry was determined to find a way into Knockturn Alley and get a book on Dark Arts Creatures. He wanted to find out what other sorts of creatures Severus had made himself the pet of. 

Severus, Harry decided, was a very odd man. 


	8. Knockturn Alley

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter_. 

Author's Note: _I love reviews! Thanks to everyone who is reviewing!_

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 8: Knockturn Alley 

The next two days were mostly spent doing homework and researching up on Mooncalves. He and Sirius were in for a time. The Mooncalves may be found worldwide, but they were very difficult to find and if they smelled humans, they wouldn't come out of their burrows. Sirius, being an Animagus, didn't have a problem, but how was Harry going to disguise his scent? 

Lupin suggested Harry didn't bathe until then and roll in rotting vegetables once a day. Harry decided to ask Hermione if there were some sort of charm or potion that nixed human scent. There was a potion, but it smelled horrible and took a month to quit working. 

Harry squared his shoulders and did what Lupin suggested. By Friday night he wasn't smelling bad enough yet so Ron and Hermione were sitting next to him in the Gryffindor Common Room. 

"Hey," Ron suddenly said as he flipped through Colin's pictures, "how did Colin get a picture of Quirrell? He wasn't here that year." 

Hermione looked at it. "Oh, Colin just took a picture of the photograph in the Teacher's Album." 

"The what?" Harry asked, lowering his book on calming potions. Harry was determined to write a good paper on them. 

"The Teacher's Album is a book that has all the teachers in it," Hermione explained. "A brief description of them and their picture. Except for Snape, who only has a very crude line sketch of him. You can barely tell it's him." 

"Who would want to look at a picture of Snape anyway?" Ron asked. 

Harry scowled at him. "Is Lockhart in it?" Harry asked casually, thinking of looking up Professor Mayor. 

"All the teachers are in it," Hermione explained as Crookshanks jumped into her lap. "There are several of them and they go back two hundred years. It's quite fascinating. Did you know that McGonagall was the youngest person to be made a Head of House at forty until Snape? And there was a big argument when she was made it too, no one thought she was mature enough for the job." 

Harry was puzzled. "What happened when Severus was made Head of House?" he asked. "Didn't they really complain about that?" 

Both Ron and Hermione gave him a funny look for using Severus's first name but Harry didn't care. They would just have to get used to it, he decided. It was too hard for Harry to remember to keep switching back and forth. 

"Well," Hermione said, "_Snape_ was made Head of Slytherin when he was twenty-two. A couple of days after You-Know-Who fell." 

Harry did the math. Severus would have only been twenty-one when Florence died. Harry grimaced. Most people that age weren't even married yet and Severus was already a widower. 

Hermione went on. "And, yes. Dumbledore was chewed out by the Ministry but he stood by his decision and wouldn't back down. The Ministry finally gave up." 

"They shouldn't have," Ron said bitterly. "It would have saved us lots of trouble." 

Harry sat on his hands so he wouldn't punch Ron in the nose. 

"Where is this book?" Harry asked. 

"In the library," Hermione said, "behind the librarian's desk." 

Harry was going to have to check on it either tonight or tomorrow. He had to know why Professor Mayor had hated Slytherins so much. The book, hopefully, might give him some clue. 

The portrait hole opened and Neville came teetering in the room, wiping his eyes, and holding a pile of books and a box or two. 

"What's wrong, Neville?" Harry asked. 

"Snape and....." 

"What did that git say now?!" Hermione asked, standing up, her fists clenched. 

Harry's eyes widened at Hermione. She looked like she was ready to march up to Severus and slap him. 

"Nothing," Neville sniffed, "we just talked, that's all." 

Seeing that Neville was about to drop his stuff, Harry rushed to him and took a few things. 

"Can I talk with you for a few minutes, Harry?" Neville asked shyly. 

"Sure," Harry readily agreed and followed Neville to their dorm room. 

Neville shut their door, after making sure that no one was in the room. 

"Snape said that you knew about my parents?" he began softly as he knelt down by his trunk and opened it. 

Harry noticed it was almost empty. "Yes, I'm sorry." 

Neville shrugged his shoulders. "It's okay." 

But it wasn't okay. "No, it isn't. I'm sorry." 

Neville's shoulders shook briefly as he put the stuff, carefully, into his trunk. Harry handed him his stack, noticing that the books seemed to be albums and journals. 

"What is that stuff?" Harry asked gently. 

"My dad gave these journals and albums and some stuff to Snape the day my dad graduated from Hogwarts. He was afraid that Gran would find them and read them. She's kind of nosy. My dad meant to get them back when he moved out but with Voldemort rising and my dad being an Auror he just never found the time. Snape put them into a trunk and totally forgot about them until this summer," Neville explained as he sat on his trunk, two Remembralls clutched in his hand. One was swirling with red and white smoke and the other one was multicolored. 

"Snape knew the Lestranges," Neville went on. "He knew them and was friends with them. He didn't know they were Death Eaters." Neville took a deep breath. "Do you think any of the people you're friends with will turn evil and maybe become Death Eaters?" 

"I hope not," Harry said, sitting down on his trunk. "But I don't know. Scary thought, isn't it?" 

Neville nodded his head. "I'm glad I don't have friends." 

"I'll be your friend," Harry said. 

Neville glanced at him, his round face sad. "No. Ron explained it to me. You just want to be friends with me because you feel sorry for me, not because you like me. You'll never think of me as anything but an annoying tagalong. That's what my cousins used to call me." 

Harry wanted to march down to Ron and hit him, hit him hard. But even as Harry felt the anger boiling inside, he realized Neville did have a point. He barely knew Neville. He had just wanted to be friends with him because he felt sorry for him. Maybe Harry would have resented having Neville tagging along after awhile. 

"What are those Remembralls?" Harry asked, determined to get to know Neville so he would know whether or not he wanted to be Neville's friend. 

Neville smiled a little. "Snape gave them to me." He shuddered a tiny bit. "I'm still scared of him but he was nice to me today." Harry smiled at him. It would probably take weeks or months for Neville to quit fearing Severus, but he was on his way. "He told me to shake them and I would get to see my parents. He made them from two photographs that he got from my Gran the other day." 

Neville shook the white and red one. The smoke billowed out of the Remembrall and two people solidified out of it on the floor. One was a round-faced man wearing a red robe. And the other person was a sweet looking woman wearing a white robe. They were hugging and waving. 

Neville smiled. "That was their wedding day," he breathed. 

He shook the ball again and the smoke returned. 

Harry watched him shake the other ball and two people emerged out of that, and a third, a baby. The man was throwing the baby into the air while it giggled and screamed and the woman watched, laughing. 

Neville's face was wet and splotchy as he stared at the three figures. Harry could guess who the baby was. 

"They know who I am," he said softly. "They don't remember that now." 

Harry closed his eyes. Harry would much rather deal with Voldemort, a basilisk, and even a dementor instead of what Neville had to deal with every time he went to visit his parents. Harry hoped the Lestranges rotted in their cell. 

"It's about dinner time," Neville said and Harry opened his eyes. 

Neville's hands were empty and the images gone. 

"I'm sorry," Harry said, yet again, wishing there was something more he could do than just say 'I'm sorry' over and over again. 

Neville smiled slightly. "Thanks. I'll be okay," and with that, Neville left the room, alone. 

Harry was beginning to see why Neville had been put into Gryffindor. Neville didn't have the traditional type of courage where a person went into danger and got out unscathed, but to go through life all by yourself took a tremendous amount of personal courage. Harry had had to have some of that while living with the Dursleys for the first eleven years of his life but now, thankfully, he didn't need it anymore. He had friends and people that cared for him. Facing Voldemort had been easy compared to staying in that cupboard when he had been a child, alone, with no foreseeable end to his loneliness. 

Harry took a detour and went to the library instead of dinner. Madam Pince showed him the book and then left to help other students so Harry could be alone. He flipped through the book until he found Professor Mayor. 

The short biography didn't say much but Harry could guess the rest. His wife and daughter had been murdered the year before he became Head of Slytherin House. Harry betted it had been either a Slytherin or someone who supported Voldemort who had done it. Wasn't that the way of this war? 'You hurt me and I'll hurt someone on your side, and I don't care if it is an innocent person who had nothing to do with it.' And that person who got hurt said the same thing and it went on and on. Thankfully, Severus had been able to walk away from that mentality, even if had cost him everything. 

Harry closed the book and headed to dinner. As he walked into the Great Hall, Harry noticed a few of the teachers giving him stern looks. Harry smiled weakly and went to sit next to Ron and Hermione. The teachers were all being fairly strict with him since that meeting, Harry guessed they were all afraid he would run off to try to defeat Voldemort if they weren't. 

Ron seemed pleased that Neville was by himself, as usual. Harry felt a desire to take the bowl of potatoes and crash it down on top of Ron's head. Ron had had no right to say that to Neville, even if it was true. 

"Pass the pudding," Harry grumbled. 

"What's the matter with you?" Ron asked, staring at him. 

Harry shoved potatoes and bread into his mouth so he wouldn't curse Ron out. "Mzyaglk sylpfht methgt," Harry muttered, cursing him out anyway. Thankfully, neither Hermione or Ron could figure out what he had said. 

"Quidditch practice starts next week," Ron said. "Fred is reading all sorts of books on the subject. I think he's planning on being worse than Oliver Wood." 

Harry nodded his head, pleased. Quidditch training would be nice. The physical activity always helped him feel calmer. And, Harry realized as he glanced at the Hufflepuff table, Severus had been partially right. He wanted Hufflepuff to win everything this year, not just the Quidditch Cup. 

On the way back to their Tower after supper, Harry 'accidentally' knocked Ron down a few steps. He apologized profusely while trying to help him up, making it difficult for Ron not to stumble down a few more steps. 

Hermione finally shoved Harry out of the way and the two of them left to head for the Tower themselves, having to hurry to get to their respective meetings, while Harry tied his shoes. 

"Have you seen Trevor?" Neville asked shyly from behind Harry. 

"No, but I'll help you find him," Harry promised. 

Neville nodded his head and the two of them scoured the castle, looking for the crazy toad. They found Trevor. He was trying to hitch a ride on a Ravenclaw's bookbag. 

Neville grabbed his toad and scurried off. Harry shook his head and wandered into Gryffindor Tower, hoping to find Neville. 

Sitting by his trunk, Harry shrugged, Neville was nowhere around; and decided to write Melusine since he had nothing else to do. 

'What are Severus's kids names? And, how long will this spell take?' 

Harry sent it and waited. 

'I'm looking at around Thanksgiving, Harry. His son is named Patrick but he never got around to naming his daughter, that he knows of. He may have just wiped it from his memory but with all that was happening that day, she might not have been named.' 

Harry stared at the note. Severus hadn't even had time to name his child? Harry shook his head and then scribbled another note. 

'Does he have a picture of his kids?' 

Melusine's note came back. 

'Of his son, but not his daughter.' 

Harry wondered what the boy looked like. He wrote Melusine, asking her if she had a picture of him. 

A picture came back of a smiling little boy, of around one and a half. He had blonde hair and large brown eyes. He was quite cute. He was making funny movements with his arms and hands. 

Harry turned the picture over. 'Patrick Snape, doing the sign for "I want a hug".' 

Why would Patrick be doing signs? One and a half was when babies started to talk, right? Or was that before or after that? But, even so, signing usually implied a person was deaf. Harry started and read the note attached. 

'Send it back, it's the only picture of his son Severus would part with and I want to keep it'. 

Regretfully, Harry sent it back. He wanted to ask Melusine to make him a copy but he decided not to. Having a picture like that around, where Severus might find it, was not a good idea. But he did ask the question 'Is Patrick deaf?' 

'Yes' 

Harry rubbed his eyes. Did that bother Severus? Or did he not care? His dad had been deaf so maybe he didn't care. Or was he mad that he had transmitted to his son what was obviously a genetic problem? 

Deaf. Harry wouldn't be able to communicate with Patrick unless he knew sign language. He had about three months. He could learn some of it by then. 

Harry finished his calming potion essay and went to the library to look up books on sign language. There weren't any. Harry went to find Lupin and then changed it to Severus. Severus would, hopefully, know where to get some books on sign language. 

"Severus?" Harry asked as he knocked on his opened classroom door. 

"Yes?" he asked, glancing up from a book. 

"Where do they have books on sign language?" he asked, walking into the room. 

Some Slytherins were sitting at the tables, doing homework or talking. They scowled at Harry. 

"Why do you want to know that, Potter?" a hard faced seventh year asked, looking at him suspiciously. 

"In a Muggle shop?" Harry asked, ignoring the girl. 

Severus glanced at him. "Why do you want it?" 

"I was thinking," Harry said slowly, "that I can't play Quidditch forever and since there is no place for deaf people to learn magic, I might start a school for them. But I would like to know if I could learn sign language, first. I'm not too swift at school work so I just don't know." 

Severus got up from his chair and motioned Harry to follow him. The seventh year Slytherin girl got up too and followed them. 

They walked to Severus's room, and while Harry and the girl waited outside, Severus went in and then came out with three books in his hands. 

"These might help you," he said gruffly, and strode away. 

Harry glanced down at the titles. _Sign Language for Wizard and Witches Who Have Deaf Children by Severus Snape_. Harry froze. Severus had wrote a book! _How to Teach Your Deaf Child Non-speaking Magic by Severus Snape, _and_ Magical Home-Schooling Curriculum for Your Deaf Child by Severus Snape._

Severus must have wrote them in the hopes of using them one day. Harry felt a lump in his throat. 

"What do you want them for?" the seventh year asked, still glaring at Harry. 

"I told you," Harry said. 

She made a funny noise in her throat. "Are you really serious?" 

Harry nodded his head, tucking the books carefully under his arm. 

The girl looked around her. "Now, listen. I hate Gryffindors and all but there is a meeting, once a week on Saturday, where all the kids that have deaf family members come to, to practice sign language during the year. That way we don't forget it. There's only three of us. It'll be starting next Saturday. You can come if you want. It's held in the Potions Classroom at three." 

Harry couldn't believe his luck. Being around kids that already knew sign language would be a big help. 

"Cool! I'll be there!" Harry started to leave when the girl grabbed his shoulder. 

"Why do you want to start a school for them?" she asked. "It isn't something that the Ministry will let you do. They consider deaf people to be basically Muggles and don't want them learning magic. Those books of Professor Snape's are considered Dark Arts books." 

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Yes. The Ministry," he spat. "Well, I'll find ways around them." 

The girl looked shocked. 

"What's your name?" Harry asked. 

"Siara Grimm," she said. 

"Harry Potter," Harry introduced himself. 

Siara smiled. "Not like I couldn't tell," she said, pointing at his scar. 

"Oh," Harry said sheepishly. "Next Saturday at three in the Potions classroom. Got it." 

Siara looked perplexed, but shrugged her shoulders, and left. Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower and crawled into bed. 

He went to his bed and closed the curtains and then began to read with the light from his wand. 

Anger began to seep into Harry. There was no reason why deaf people shouldn't be allowed into Hogwarts. Sure they couldn't do the spells or any of the talking magic, even the deaf people who could talk couldn't pronounce correctly enough to make them work, but they could do plenty of other stuff. Like Divination, they would just have to write down what they saw or say it if they could talk clear enough. There was also history, caring for Magical Creatures and learning all about them, flying if someone else would get the broom off the ground for them first, and potion making. 

Harry, even though it had been a lie to begin with, decided that if he could learn sign language, forming a school for the deaf wouldn't be such a bad idea. Who cared if he had to find a way around the Ministry? Maybe he could set it up in Knockturn Alley. He had plenty of money to start it with too, thanks to the inheritance his parents had left him. 

Falling asleep, Harry dreamed about a giant toad that was after Neville. It was hopping after him and Neville was screaming and running through the hallways of Hogwarts. Neville crashed into the same girl from Harry's other dream, the one that looked like Katrina. She turned the giant toad into chocolate and the two of them started to eat it. 

The next dream had Harry standing in front of a group of students, signing to them while they wrote down what he said. He went slow so they could look back up after each sentence. The little boy from the picture was in the front row, scribbling away like mad with his chubby hands. 

Harry woke and grinned. He dressed, and did his best not to ignore Ron, though he was still furious with him. By lunch-time, Harry was ready for a break, so he went to locate Lupin and Sirius so he could tell them about Patrick being deaf while Hermione and Ron argued over how long Severus had said the calming potion had to be. Lupin and Sirius were shocked. Harry, wanting to work on not lying so much, just kept quiet as they wondered how it might have happened. 

"Sirius," Harry interrupted. "You can come with me to the meeting every Saturday and learn some sign language. I should have asked Siara if she wouldn't mind you coming too, Lupin." 

Lupin shrugged. "You have a week to ask her. Or I could after a class. Can I see those books you brought?" 

Harry handed him the three books and Lupin and Sirius looked through them. 

"I'm going to go to Knockturn Alley to get us all copies of these books," Lupin decided. "That way, when Patrick comes, he'll be able to talk to at least three people besides his dad. And he'll be able to take my class. He won't be able to do everything in DADA, but enough." 

"You shouldn't be going into Knockturn Alley, either," Sirius said. 

"Let's go ask Severus. He'll take us," Harry decided and before either of them could protest, he was out the door and headed for the dungeons. 

"You!" said a voice that Harry recognized. 

Harry turned around to see Lupin standing still while Siara came up to the two of them. 

"What are you two doing down here in the dungeons?" she asked, hands on her hips, glaring at the two of them. 

"Lupin was wondering if he could come to the sign language meeting too," Harry said. 

Siara raised an eyebrow. "Two Gryffindors?" she said with distaste. "I guess so." 

"Where's Severus?" Harry questioned. 

Siara stared at Harry. "Severus? You mean Professor Snape, right?" she said, challenging. 

"Oh, yeah. Professor Snape," Harry amended, remembering to be careful around the Slytherins about calling Severus, Severus. The Slytherins were obviously very protective of him. 

"He's in his classroom," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Making that hag stew. It tastes good but boy does it stink when it's cooking. He's the only one in there and he had to drink a smell-repelling potion and wash his robe in it to keep the smell off of him." 

Harry had an idea. He needed to get smelly, so why not? 

Siara left and Harry waved at Lupin and Sirius to stay while he went to the classroom and slipped inside. 

Severus was standing in the center of a circle that four large cauldrons had made and was busily stirring one of them. Siara had been right, the stuff smelled horrible. 

Harry cleared his throat. 

"Didn't you see the warning I put on the door?" Severus asked, as his eyes widened. 

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I need to get smelly," he said. "I have to get something from an animal this week that won't come near me if I smell like human," Harry said truthfully. 

Severus crinkled his nose. "I've done that before, so I can't complain." 

Harry laughed. "By the way, Lupin and Sirius want to get copies of your books." 

"Why?" Severus asked, suspiciously. 

Harry didn't have to think about this one. "Because they want to learn sign language, too. And Lupin is a werewolf and once Dumbledore passes away I'm sure he'll get fired. And Sirius, even if he's found not-guilty, will still be looked down on since he was in Azkaban. So that is two teachers that I will have available when I start my school, but they need to know sign language." 

Severus stopped stirring. "You're really serious about this school?" 

"Yes," Harry said. "I just hope I can do it. I'm only good at Quidditch so this is my only shot at actually having something besides Quidditch to do when I grow up. I like Quidditch all right but I can't do that forever and I don't want to turn out like Ludo Bagman." 

Severus resumed stirring. "You have a point. All right, I'll take the three of you. Black will need to be in dog form. I don't trust him not to wander off." 

"Me either," Harry smiled. "When can we go?" 

"At four this afternoon. Meet me on the road to Hogsmeade." 

Harry nodded his head and slipped out. Lupin grimaced and backed away as Harry walked up to him. 

"Stay there!" Lupin gasped. "You reek!" 

"Thanks," Harry said sarcastically, sniffing the air. He couldn't smell anything anymore. 

Luckily, by four in the afternoon, most of the smell from the hag stew had worn off and Lupin would stand next to Harry again. Lupin, Harry, and Snuffles were busily eating the rest of their bowls of hag stew, Siara had been right, it was delicious, as they waited for Severus on the road into Hogsmeade. 

Snuffles, especially, was devouring his bowl with gusto. Harry frowned at him. Sirius had been the one to 'steal' the hag stew and therefore demanded the right to have the most bowls. But as they had eaten the first bowl in Lupin's office, Sirius had admitted that Severus had basically let him take a small cauldron of the stuff but he was still eating more of it than Harry. It was so good they had taken it with them to eat as they walked to Hogsmeade. 

"When is the next time they make this stuff?" Harry asked Snuffles. 

Snuffles barked three times. Harry decided he would have to wait for Snuffles to change into Sirius. Three barks could mean three weeks, three days, or three months. 

"Finished?" asked a slightly amused voice from behind them. 

Harry nodded his head, shoving the rest of his stew into his mouth while Snuffles hunched over his bowl and licked it clean, making it rattle on the stony ground. 

"How often do you make this?" Harry asked, shrinking his bowl and putting it into a bag in his pocket, while he turned to looked at Severus. 

"Every three months," Severus answered. 

"Make another cauldron for the three of us next time," Harry suggested. "This stuff is good!" 

Severus smiled a tiny bit. "Let's go." 

They went into Hogsmeade and then Severus apparated while Harry went by Floo from the Three Broomsticks. He arrived in a dimly lit smoky room with faded wallpaper and stained wooden floors. Lupin and Snuffles arrived next, Lupin having to hold Snuffles as they went by Floo. 

"Ho there!" cried a voice from the corner of the room as an old woman came into view. 

Harry recognized her as the woman who had been selling fingernails on the street of Knockturn Alley when he had accidentally arrived there in his second year. Hagrid had caused her to drop her tray twice and Harry gulped. Surely she would recognize him as having been there with Hagrid. 

She did. 

She bared her teeth at Harry and jabbed a wasted finger at him. "You!" she shrieked. "Cost me a half days worth of selling! I'm an old woman and can't bend down like I used to. Didn't even bother to stop and help! You and that big oaf!" 

Severus bent down and whispered something to her. Her face immediately brightened, and clutching something that Severus had handed her, she hobbled away. 

"What did you give her?" Lupin asked curiously, as Harry noticed some not very kind looks being directed at him and Lupin. 

"Some money," Severus said as he waved to a door that had just opened, letting some sunlight spill into the hazy room. 

Harry and Lupin, keeping rather close to each other and Severus, followed Severus out the door. Snuffles was at Harry's heel. 

The alley they arrived in was unfamiliar to Harry and consisted mainly of old store window fronts. The glass was opaque, and Harry realized that each window front had a list of families on it. 

"Apartments," Severus explained. "Knockturn Alley doesn't have any real ones so the people that live here converted the old stores that aren't being used any longer into apartments." 

As they passed by, Harry saw greasy haired, sallow skinned children sitting on the porches. No wonder why everyone thought Severus had come from here, he fit in. 

The children grinned at Severus, showing off their yellow teeth, and Harry was surprised to see that Severus waved back. 

"When you coming back?" asked a six-year-old little girl as she jumped down two stairs to land on the street. 

Harry couldn't help but notice the sad state of her robes. They were stained and the top half wasn't the same color as the bottom half. Her mother, or someone, must have gotten two robes and sewed together the functional parts. 

"Not for awhile, Crystal," Severus said. 

Crystal ran and jumped at Severus, who caught her. 

"Ah, come on!" she pleaded, blinking up at him, her hands together. "Please!" 

"I'll see if I can come back next summer," he said. 

Crystal giggled and jumped down. "Good. I'm gonna tell mum. She and daddy have been worried about you. They think you should stay in Knockturn Alley. And so do I!" she waved and then rushed back up the stairs. 

Harry looked away as he noticed a sudden tightening around Severus's eyes and mouth as he watched Crystal disappear into her apartment house. Crystal probably reminded Severus of the daughter he thought he would never see again. 

"Let's go," Severus muttered. 

Harry still stayed close to Severus, noticing that it wasn't just children who were watching them, but the parents. Staring at Lupin and him with unfriendly eyes. Even Snuffles was getting his fair share of evil looks. 

They walked through an even narrower alley and Harry gulped as he saw movement in several of the open doorways that looked like people running. A large man suddenly stepped out from one of the doorways, with his wand extended, and Harry stepped closer to Lupin, seeing that people were now behind them too. 

"Hello, Severus," said the man in a gruff voice. 

"Hello, Marcus," Severus replied. "And it's Professor Snape to all my former students." 

Harry stared. It was Marcus Flint! Marcus certainly had changed or maybe it was just his surroundings. He looked dangerous now instead of just like the overgrown bully he had seemed at Hogwarts. Harry wondered what Marcus was doing in Knockturn Alley. Was he just hanging around or did he live here? 

Marcus suddenly smiled. "Glad to see you! Why did you bring the Potty boy with you?" 

Snuffles snarled but Lupin shushed him. 

"And the werewolf!" Marcus grinned. 

"Cool!" said someone from behind. 

"A werewolf!" 

"I haven't seen one of those in ages!" 

"He wanted to come to get some Dark Arts books," Severus explained. "You know, the kind that are just Dark Arts because the Ministry got bored one day and needed to come up with another asinine law." 

Marcus snorted. "Oh, yeah! Well, you can go. Everyone's been told not to bother you now. We just had to be sure you were here on your own will and someone wasn't forcing you to come. You'll have free sailing to the bookstore." 

"Thank you, Marcus," Severus said and they went by him. 

Harry still kept rather close to Severus, as did Lupin and Snuffles. They made it through several more alleys, seeing no one, and rushed into the bookstore when Severus pointed it out to them. 

"It's creepy here!" Lupin breathed, keeping his voice low, as they wandered through the section labeled 'Light Dark Arts'. 

Severus hadn't been joking. Most of these books didn't need to be labeled Dark Arts. But as Harry read the titles carefully, he began to see why they had been. There was a book on never having to go to the hospital ever again with the potions and spells found in the book. Doctors wouldn't like that one. There would be no one seeing them anymore. There was a book on how to make your teeth strong so you never had to see a dentist. Dentists probably got that one regulated to Dark Arts. Money, Harry was beginning to realize, was what made the world go round, not what was right and what was wrong. Money and power. 

Lupin found Severus's books and got three copies of each so Severus could have his back. Harry paid for them all. 

While Severus, Snuffles, and Lupin were at different areas in the bookstore, Harry looked at the store owner. He was a middle-aged man with greasy blonde hair but he was friendly, when he had seen that Severus liked him. 

"Do you have any books on Dark Arts creatures?" Harry asked softly, keen not to be overheard. 

The man winked at Harry and left for a few seconds. He came back with a thick book and Harry paid for it and then shoved it in the bag. 

"Thanks!" he smiled. 

"Ready?" Severus asked from his position in the section on 'Dark, Dark Arts.' 

"Yes," Harry answered. 

The trip back to Hogwarts was easy, they met no one, and Harry handed out the books to Lupin and Sirius in Lupin's office. Severus had gone back to his dungeons as soon as they had entered Hogwarts. 

Harry took his books and went back to his dorm room, thinking. Severus had seemed more at ease in Knockturn Alley than Harry had ever seen him before. For the first time, Severus had seemed like he had belonged while Lupin, Harry, and Sirius had been the outcasts. 

Was the way that Harry had felt in Knockturn Alley; scared, worried, and like everyone was looking at him with unfriendly faces; the way that Severus felt at Hogwarts? 

That might certainly be a reason why Severus spent so much time with his Slytherins, he felt like he belonged with them, just like everyone else in the school stayed away from them because they felt unwelcome. Did the Slytherins, themselves, feel unwelcome here at Hogwarts? Was that the reason why they looked so unfriendly, because they felt threatened, worried, and that everyone else didn't like them? 

Harry was determined to quit treating Slytherins like they were the enemy. Sure, some of them were evil, but so were some Gryffindors. Pettigrew had been a Gryffindor and he had turned out rotten, so it was unfair and biased to say only Slytherins turned evil, though it was very convenient. 

Harry, having made it somehow to his room, put all the supposed 'Dark Arts' books in his trunk, with the invisibility cloak around them, and then slipped Severus's own books into his book bag. He would take them down for dinner. 

That night, Harry dreamed that he had been put into Slytherin and instead of being his friends, Ron and Hermione hated him. Fred and George were constantly pulling pranks on Harry and ridiculing him. Harry, finally having enough one day, shoved both Fred and George down the stairs, where they fell into Ron and Hermione. They all landed in a heap at the bottom, and Harry, instead of feeling guilty for the broken arms and legs he had caused, felt vindicated. He hadn't done anything to them after all, just been put into Slytherin. 

Harry woke. Today he was going to be nice to some Slytherins. Maybe not Draco, though. Harry wasn't sure about Draco. He might, very likely, be one of the evil Slytherins, and Harry didn't want to be around someone like that. Maybe Millicent or Siara? 


	9. Mooncalves

Body Disclaimer: _all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter_. 

Author's Note: _I never could figure out how many students are in each year so I fit the number of Slytherins and Gryffindors in Harry's year to the number of brooms that they used in their first flying lesson with Madam Hooch, which was twenty_. 

_Thanks again for the reviews_! 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 9: Mooncalves 

Harry's desire to be nice to some Slytherins on Sunday proved to be fruitless. There were none around. All hiding in the dungeons, he supposed. Harry had really never noticed it before, not caring, but the Slytherins were rarely seen on the weekends. 

On Monday, first thing in Potions, Harry set his cauldron up next to a table full of Slytherins: Millicent Bulstrode, Blaise Zabini, and Rae Olsson. Ron heaved a long sigh and sat at the end of Harry's table, as far away from the Slytherins as he could get. Hermione sat next to Harry and tried to wave at Millicent, who just glowered at her. 

Harry wondered. Was Millicent being unfriendly or not? 

When Severus collected their homework, Harry had his out and ready. An essay, just the right length, and written with as much information as Harry could find that would be useful. Unlike Hermione, Harry saw no reason to include irrelevant information. Harry liked things to the point. 

Severus scanned the essay and looked at Harry. "Not bad," he murmured as he headed off. 

"So," Harry said, looking over at Millicent, "did you find enough information?" 

Millicent raised an eyebrow while Blaise yawned and put his head on the table. "Yes," she said carefully. "You?" 

Harry nodded. "Yep." 

That was the end of the conversation since Severus started to teach just then. Severus ignored Blaise sleeping on the table. 

"What's wrong with Blaise?" Harry asked, leaning over towards Millicent as they cut up their ingredients for their cold alleviator potion. 

Millicent grinned and then frowned at Harry. "Why?" 

Harry refrained from sighing. This was not going to be easy. 

"Just trying to be friendly," Harry said. 

Millicent narrowed her eyes. "Maybe," she said. 

Harry smiled and went back to cutting up the rest of his ingredients, aware of Ron's angry eyes on him and Hermione's worried ones. 

Neville was by himself at a table, having given up ever having someone willingly pair with him, and Severus, for the first time, hadn't assigned anyone to him. 

Severus, after making sure that everyone was working correctly, turned his attention to Neville and started to help him. Harry quit working as he watched. 

Neville was slightly petrified as Severus showed him exactly how to cut up the ingredients. 

Neville's potion was quite good again, though Harry's was better, once he had shaken himself back to reality and finished it. 

"Harry," Ron demanded, rounding on Harry at the end of class, his teeth clenched. "We are not sitting next to Slytherins again!" 

Harry shrugged. "I like them," and with that he went up to Severus, leaving behind a very confused Hermione and an enraged Ron. 

"Why is Blaise sleeping?" Harry asked as the rest of the class left. Harry could see Ron and Hermione skulking outside the doorway. 

Severus smiled slightly at Blaise's form. "His mum had twins last night. I took Blaise home on Friday afternoon and picked him up this morning so he could be there. He didn't get any sleep last night." 

"Isn't that against school rules?" Harry asked. 

"Probably," Severus shrugged. "Dumbledore is aware that I do it, though." 

"Oh," Harry said. "I've read most of those sign language books," Harry said. "Could I practice with you? Lupin and Sirius want to practice too. Once a week isn't going to be enough for us." 

Severus seemed to think. "Well. I have an hour free this afternoon. Before dinner at five. In this classroom." 

Harry quickly nodded his head. "We'll be here." 

Ron and Hermione demanded to know what Harry had wanted to tell Severus, and Harry, deciding that lying right and left was not a good thing for him to keep doing, told the truth. "He's going to teach me, Lupin, and Sirius sign language." 

"He's what?!" Ron exploded in shock. "Doesn't he hate you all?!" 

Harry shook his head. "No. He might still hate Sirius, even though he's trying to be civil to him, but he doesn't hate me or Lupin." 

Hermione tugged at her robe. "How does he know sign language?" 

Harry shrugged and led them off to their next class to avoid any more questions. 

Five o'clock didn't come soon enough for Harry. He wanted to learn this language and they only had a few months to learn it in. 

Hermione opted to come with them, and Ron, not wanting to be left out, dragged his feet and came too. And so did Ginny, when she got wind of what they were doing. 

Lupin sealed the door and they all pulled chairs around Severus's desk, which he was hiding behind, that and his hair. 

Hermione was sitting next to Lupin, to share his book, Ron next to Sirius, and Ginny next to Harry. Harry rather liked the arrangement. Ginny was rather serious about schoolwork, but not as serious as Hermione, which would make it easier for Harry. 

"So," Sirius started. "What do we need to know first?" 

"First," Severus said, "is your facial expressions. Deaf people can't hear your tone of voice so they have to pick it up by how you look. If you're being sarcastic, look like it. Angry, look angry. Happy, look happy." 

Harry had read that. 

"And knowing the alphabet is very important but don't use it too much. If someone was talking to you and they spelt out everything they said you would be brain numb. Same with deaf people. They'll lose what you are trying to say because they won't remember the first word you spelled when you're on the seventh. Only use the alphabet for names and even then, try to pick out something that can identify yourself or that person quickly with," Severus said. "It's easier." 

Harry nodded his head. He had read all this, but hearing it would make it stick in his brain longer. 

"And deaf people can sometimes read lips but not very well. Don't rely on that. Also, their grammar is not always that good because they communicate differently. So don't expect their writing skills to be too high unless they read a great deal." 

"Now for the alphabet signs," he said, and he started to go over them. 

It was the first chapter and Harry found that it was much easier to follow a live person than a drawing. 

That was all that they did that day. Severus suddenly quit thirty minutes into it and left. It was probably fairly hard for Severus to sign. Reminded him of his dad and son. 

"What's his problem?" Ron asked, scathingly. 

"Shove off, Ron," Lupin, Sirius, and Harry all told him. 

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all blinked. 

The next few days, Harry realized that he had begun stinking. Ron and Hermione wouldn't sit next to him anymore and several teachers stared at him as if he had lost it. Harry just shrugged and grinned. 

Thankfully the full moon was on Thursday, and after Severus had given Lupin his Wolfsbane potion for that day and stayed until he drank it, Harry and Sirius slipped out of the castle in the dark, both wearing invisibility cloaks, and went in search of Mooncalf droppings. 

After an hour of searching a deserted field they spotted one and waited. The strange gray creature did his intricate dance, balancing on his hind legs and staring up at the moon with his huge eyes. He left several presents. 

Harry collected some in plastic bags and winced as Snuffles decided that he needed some cologne. Harry wouldn't be the only one bathing tonight. 

They gathered their dropped stuff, slipped the cloaks back on, kicked off their brooms and headed back to the castle. The night was slightly chilly. 

"You need to apologize," Harry suddenly decided as he and Sirius flew side-by-side. 

"For what?" Sirius asked. 

"For that prank in sixth year. Severus wasn't thinking straight, you know. I can't tell you everything but he lost some family members in that raid. All of them, one way or another, and he was just really hurting." 

Sirius sighed. "Remus has been on to me about that since he found out Snape had children. All right," Sirius muttered, as if he had swallowed something unpleasant. "I'll apologize to him. Harry," Sirius said very somberly, "maybe we shouldn't ask for Snape's help in learning to sign anymore. He looked pretty shook up when he left so suddenly on Monday. And he hasn't volunteered to help again, though I know he's had some free time, despite his telling you he hasn't had any." 

Harry had sort of figured that. "But we need to learn it, and learn it quick." 

"What about Siara?" Sirius said. "Ask her. And... tell her why." 

"Are you crazy?!" Harry said, stopping his broom. 

Sirius had stopped too, at least Harry assumed he had since his voice was still right next to Harry. "No. She's very protective of him. Did you know that every summer she goes to Muggle and wizarding camps all summer? Severus pays for them." 

"Why?" Harry asked softly. 

"Her parents abused her. She hasn't seen them since she got on the train for Hogwarts when she was eleven. Snape's kept her away from them, protected her from them, and she dearly loves him for it. Her hair made that vial glow the brightest. I bet she reminds him of Florence. Snape couldn't save her so he's saving Siara." 

Harry blinked back the tears. Too bad no one had done that for Florence. Nobody had cared and Severus hadn't been in a position to be able to help her then. He had just been a kid. 

"I think Marcus Flint had the same deal too," Sirius said slowly. "But with Marcus, Severus sent him to Knockturn Alley. Snape will do anything to protect those kids, even if it's illegal. I bet the Sorting Hat saw that kind of mind-set and put him there." 

Harry started to move the broom again. "How did you find all this out?" 

"I wander around all day," Sirius said. "I see things and hear things and I snoop." 

Harry smiled. At least Sirius was keeping himself busy. "I'll tell her," Harry decided. "Whose deaf in her family then?" 

"Her little brother," Sirius said sadly. "Parents put him up for adoption when they found out and a Muggle family took him in. They love the boy and Siara visits him at the playground near his house when she's near there. Snape has made sure that several of the camps that Siara goes to are around that small town." 

Harry wished Dumbledore or McGonagall were that nice to him. He hated the Dursleys. As much as Harry tried to forget about it during the year, the bleak prospect of summer always loomed at the horizon. Maybe, just maybe, if he asked Severus. Asking couldn't hurt. 

They made it back and they both showered, Sirius sealing the door. Sirius was a few stalls over and Harry could hear him singing a tune of some sort but Harry's mind was still on summer and asking Severus to help him out. Would he go against Dumbledore's will, though? 

Harry dried and dressed and impatiently waited for Sirius to be done. He finally emerged from the shower, one of Lupin's old robes on him, and smiled at Harry. 

"Well, I'm off to wrestle Fang!" he said, putting the cloak on. 

Harry went to his room, ignoring the calls of "Finally!", and "Boy did you stink for awhile," and sent the mooncalf droppings to Melusine. 

The next ingredient came back. 'The spit of someone that has killed a basilisk (that would be you), and the tears of someone who loves a basilisk (that would be Severus). Make him chop onions or something. Tell him the ingredient you need, he won't get suspicious.' 

Harry shook his head. Severus loved a basilisk? Harry was beginning to wonder about his mental state. 

Putting the note with the others, Harry was only slightly surprised to see they were all blank now, including the one he had just gotten. A good idea, actually. Prevented someone from being able to read something they shouldn't. 

Harry took the two vials out that had also come with the note and spit in one and then sent it back. 

Harry, feeling depressed about the faraway summer, went down to the dungeons and knocked on the door that he guessed led to Severus's rooms. 

The door opened and Severus stood there, already in his gray nightshirt. 

"I don't suppose you could let me stay with you this summer somewhere?" Harry asked. "I hate the Dursleys," he said, trying not to get overly emotional. 

Severus opened the door wider. "Maybe," he said slowly, seeing Harry's genuine depression. 

Harry walked in. The room was sparse. A few bookcases lined the walls, full of nothing but books, a huge solid looking table with one chair was in the center of the room, and a battered old leather armchair stood in a corner. It was all the furniture he had. There were no pictures on the stone walls, and no rugs on the stone floor. Even the torches that lined the walls in his room were streamlined, offering nothing in the way of decor. Talk about cold! 

"Um," Harry began. 

"I'll talk with Melusine," he said, excusing himself to go into the only other door, besides the front door, in the room. 

Harry followed him to the doorway. His bedroom was worse. Only two pieces of furniture, a bed and a wardrobe, in the entire room. Harry gulped. 

Laying on the bed was an animal that put Snuffles and Fang to shame. It was a huge, shaggy, greenish-black dog. It lifted its head and barked. The sound reverberated through the entire bedroom. 

"Shh, Ariel," Severus gently scolded as he opened the wardrobe and scribbled a note on a stack of paper next to his own blue sphere. 

The dog stood up and Harry gulped again. Wasn't the bed about to break and was he about to be eaten? 

Severus slipped the note into the sphere, tapped in once, and Harry stepped back as Ariel eyed him. 

Harry's mouth dropped as Melusine suddenly appeared by the bed. 

"How?!" he said. 

Melusine smiled at him. "I'm a Seidr. My magic is more akin to House-elf magic, ancient magic, than this weaker, newer magic that wizards and witches use. Seidrs can't be stopped by any charms or spells that wizards and witches use." 

"Oh," Harry said quietly, not sure how he felt about a Seidr being able to come and go as he or she liked. 

"You want to stay in the Dark Forest?" she asked gently. 

Harry nodded his head. "I hate the Dursleys. Please?" 

Melusine shrugged. "I don't see why not. Voldemort won't be able to get at him if he's near the center. He can stay with Urzula if you still want to go back to Knockturn Alley," she said, looking at Severus. "She'll move closer to the center if I ask her too." 

Severus pulled his eyes away from Harry and nodded. "I'll visit. But I would like to stay in Knockturn Alley." 

Melusine nodded her head. "Good, that's settled." 

"What about Dumbledore?" Harry questioned. 

Melusine winked. "If he doesn't know, he can't tell you no." 

Harry laughed. "Okay," he said, though Harry wasn't sure he would be unable to tell Dumbledore about this when the time came. 

But, at least, it was something to hope for. 

Harry watched Melusine disappear and then wondered why Melusine needed his help in getting the ingredients together if she could apparate and dissapparate in and out of Hogwarts. But then, he thought about it. It would still take her time to get them and she had an entire Dark Forest to run. Her time was properly pretty limited. 

"I need your tears," Harry told Severus. "You have to cry. I'll get some onions from the kitchen this weekend. Tears from someone who loves a basilisk is the next ingredient. By the way, whose this basilisk you love?" 

Severus straightened up. "Roberta. She's darling. She lives in some caves in a mountainous region. I visit her every weekend." 

Harry had to know. "Is she your pet or are you her pet?" 

"Neither, she's a friend." 

Harry had a headache. How was he, a normal person, going to be friends with a man who called a basilisk a friend? 

"I would like to be your friend," Harry declared. "If you'll let me," he added shyly. 

Severus's eyes widened behind his lank, greasy hair. "I haven't exactly been very nice to you." 

Harry waved that away. "Forgive and forget. I'm over it. Please?" 

Severus ran a hand through his hair, looking embarrassed. "Well, if you're sure," he said hesitantly. 

"Yes," Harry nodded his head. "Very sure. I think you need one. I know you have your Slytherins but they're more like your..." how was Harry going to say it without reminding Severus of his children? "...more like your nieces and nephews than friends." 

Severus's hand stopped at his neck and he massaged it as he stared at Harry. Harry could actually see his face, only a few strands of hair obscured it. It didn't look nearly as ugly when he wasn't sneering. 

"Okay," Severus said, still sounding unsure. 

Harry took that and ran. "And Lupin will like to be your friend. He's always liked you, you know. Sirius is, well, Sirius." 

Severus grinned a tiny bit. It certainly made his features more pleasant to look at. "Yes, I know." 

Harry grinned back. "Why do you two hate each other so much? Lupin said it started before that prank, when you two were first years," Harry said, only half-lying and half-guessing. 

Severus sat on his bed and Ariel rested her head on his lap, staring at Harry with her large, blackish-green eyes. "On the train ride here, I had bought some candy, my first, and I ate it, lots of it. Black and Lupin were sitting across from me and Florence Wilkes," Severus said her name with obvious difficulty, "and well, I get motion sick. And Black was telling a harrowing tale of being chased by a bunch of angry older teenagers on a broomstick, to impress Lupin, I guess. I... well, I decorated Black's robes." 

Harry laughed. "You threw up on him?!" 

Severus nodded his head, looking queasy at the memory, while he stroked Ariel's fur. "All over him. Lupin too, but Lupin didn't care. He had been trying to warn Black off when he saw that I was getting sicker as Black's story got more detailed about the flying maneuvers he used to escape with. Black was furious and dubbed me his arch enemy from then on." 

Sounded like Sirius. "That is too funny!" Harry said. 

"It was a bit," Severus admitted, but his smile quickly faded. "You best go, I'm tired." 

Harry let Severus nicely, but firmly, evict him from his rooms. Being friends with Severus was still not going to be easy, not even with Severus agreeing to it. Severus had so much emotional baggage that it was threatening to fall on his head and crush him. But Harry was determined to help him either hold it up, or help him crawl out from underneath it when it toppled over. 

Harry consulted his book on Dark Arts Creatures and found Ariel. He or she, Harry knew the name was often used for either male or female, was a Cu Sith. An untamable dog-like creature that often ate it's owners. The writer knew of only one person who kept a Cu Sith and that person was the Cu Sith's pet, not owner. Harry wondered if that was Severus. 

On Friday, Sirius came into Lupin's office while Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were having some pumpkin juice. Harry had invited Neville but he declined. Sirius looked flushed and Harry was only slightly glad he hadn't invited Neville, or Sirius wouldn't have been able to show himself. 

"Well!" Sirius said, looking triumphant. "I apologized to Snape! And after he put a few curses and hexes on me, he accepted it, and then took them off. I lost my lunch, good thing Snape doesn't have carpet or rugs. He still doesn't like me but he did admit that he no longer wants to kill me and he doesn't hate my anymore," Sirius added as he snagged some candy that Ron had found on his trunk that morning. The twins again, though Ron claimed Harry had done it. 

Ron looked disgusted, Hermione looked confused at how happy Sirius was, and Lupin looked satisfied. 

"It's about time he made you lose your lunch after what you did to him on the train coming to Hogwarts!" Lupin said. 

Sirius only bit into some candy and glared at Lupin. "Trust me. He paid me back," Sirius said with a chuckle. "He'll also tutor us some more in sign language tomorrow at nine in the morning. For thirty minutes." 

Harry couldn't ask for more than that, from either Sirius or Severus. It was possible that the two of them could never be friends, but as long as they didn't hate each other Harry didn't care. 

"We have a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix tonight," Lupin informed them. "You all are welcomed to join us but sit in the seats along the wall and make sure you repeat the information you learn to no one." 

Harry nodded, pleased. He had hoped he would be included in the Order meetings, especially since Voldemort was after him. 

That night, Harry met Urzula. She was old, very old, but not very feeble looking. She put Mundungus Fletcher in his place when he tried to make her hair stand up by shaking her hand. Urzula muttered something and Mundungus's hair changed from gray to yellow with pink polka dots. His hair stayed like that for the rest of the meeting, he refused to let anyone change it back. 

The meeting wasn't that interesting, basically being about Hagrid's work with the giants and other foreign wizards that either wanted to help or didn't want to help. 

"Are you all right?" Lupin suddenly interrupted a speech about how to get some French wizards on their side. 

Harry wondered who he was talking to when Sirius got up and stood behind Severus's chair. 

"Snape?" he asked. 

Severus didn't answer and Harry jumped up to see what was wrong. Severus looked pale, at least what Harry could see of his face. 

"Snape?" Sirius tried again, rapping on the table in front of him. 

Severus looked up, as if noticing Sirius was there for the first time. 

"Drink, Draco," he muttered thickly and then fell sideways. 

Harry caught him. "What's wrong?" he asked, getting a bit hysterical as Severus's body began to convulse. 

"Out!" Dumbledore thundered. "Everyone but Harry, Lupin, Urzula, Moody, and Sirius, out! Hermione, Ron, alert Madam Pomfrey. McGonagall, get Draco! Moody, see if the House-elves still have his evening cup or if it is in his rooms, depending on where he was poisoned!" 

"What's wrong!?" Harry asked again when everyone was gone. 

Lupin, Sirius, and Urzula had managed to get Severus onto a stretcher and had to tie him to it, his body was convulsing so badly. 

"Draco must have poisoned him," Dumbledore said softly as he pulled his wand out and directed the stretcher out the door at top speed. 

Harry had never seen Dumbledore run before. Lupin, Urzula, and Sirius, having changed into Snuffles, were right behind him, but Harry stayed. 

His vision was blurry and his breathing was ragged. Severus was going to have his children back, and Draco was not going to get in the way. With his fists clenched, Harry dashed out of the room and headed to Severus's office to get the veritaserum he was going to pour down Draco's throat to make him tell him what he had done to Severus and how to undo it. 

He met McGonagall on the way. "Draco's gone. He took his broom and left." 

"Coward! Murderer!" Harry screamed. "I'm going to kill him!" 

McGonagall looked too shaken to reprimand Harry, she just grabbed his upper arm and the two of them ran to the hospital wing. 

Hermione and Ron were there by Lupin, Urzula, and Snuffles, looking white. Even Ron looked startled about what was happening. 

"He's behind the screen," Hermione whispered, nodding toward a screen. "He's still convulsing." 

Madam Pomfrey emerged, looking devastated. "I can't help him. I don't know what's in him." 

"What?" Harry whispered, nearly falling. 

Pomfrey just shook her head, looking helpless. "I can't give him an antidote unless I know the poison that was used. And there's no time to figure out what was used..." 

Harry didn't hear what else she said, flying down the stairs and to Gryffindor Tower. Hermione and Ron were right behind him, yelling at him to stop. 

Skidding to a stop by his trunk, ignoring the fact that Neville was in the room, along with Ron and Hermione, he scrawled a note and sent it to Melusine. 

"What's that?" Hermione asked but Harry ignored her, whispering to himself for Melusine to hurry. 

"Where is he?" Melusine asked as she appeared. 

Hermione stifled a scream. Ron gasped and Neville screamed. Melusine didn't notice. 

"Now!" she thundered. 

Harry ran, noticing Melusine grabbing Neville's arm as she went and dragging him along. It didn't slow her down any. They made it to the hospital wing and Melusine strode up to Severus, Harry, Ron, and Hermione right behind her. Harry grabbed Neville as he tottered when Melusine released his arm. Hermione and Ron stood slightly behind Harry and let Neville stand between them so Harry could concentrate on Severus. 

Severus looked terrible. His robes were drenched in sweat, his face no longer sallow, but paler than the white sheets he laid on. His hair no longer looked greasy, it was wet and dripping. And he was still convulsing. 

Melusine shook her head. "He'll be dead before we can find the poison that was used and an antidote. There isn't time. He can't be helped," she said, staring at the wall. 

Harry stared, feeling his fingernails digging into the palms of his hands and drawing blood. How could Draco do this to someone he supposedly loved? If he ever saw Draco again, Harry was going to mimic Evan Rosier and tear him apart with his bare hands. 


	10. Found

Body Disclaimer: all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter. 

Author's Note: _My word did I upset some people! That was kind of funny. I didn't expect to have such a reaction. _

Author's Note: _I'm doing a humorous take on Severus's childhood under the name Serenthia, A Son for the Dark Lord. Both the ideas came to me at the same time and I decided to explore them both. But, so as not to confuse anyone, I'm doing the other idea under the name Serenthia_. 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 10: Returning 

Harry could feel his blood seeping out between his fingers to drip onto the pristine floor but he couldn't unclench his fingers. All he could do was stare, mutely, at Severus's convulsing body. A hand descended on Harry's shoulder and he only half-noticed that it was Ron's. The weight was nice. 

"Is he going to be okay?" Harry asked hoarsely, refusing to accept the answer everyone kept giving him. 

Harry drew a ragged breath when no one answered and walked to the bed Severus was strapped on. Ron's hand slipped off. Harry wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand as another warm weight settled on his shoulder. It was Lupin. Harry backed into him. 

Blood was trickling out of the corner of Severus's mouth, his neck muscles were standing out and his jaw was clenched tight. Harry quickly wiped his bloody hands on his robes and, not caring what anyone thought, Harry reached out a hand to stroke Severus's hair out of his face. His skin was so cold and wet. 

"Wake up!" Harry pleaded. "Come on!" 

"Take Harry away," came Dumbledore's voice. 

Harry shook his head, latching onto the bed railing with his hurting hands. Nobody was taking him away. If Severus was going to die, than Harry wanted to be there for him when he did. 

"No," Harry said, his voice cracking. "I'm his friend. Every person deserves to have a friend with them when they die." 

"Harry," Dumbledore pleaded. "It's just going to get worse." 

"I don't care," Harry growled, hanging onto the cold metal. "I'm staying." 

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Melusine wave Dumbledore off as Dumbledore headed for Harry. 

"Let the boy stay," she said. "Ron, Hermione, Neville, I need to speak with you." 

Hagrid stiffened at Melusine telling Dumbledore what to do, but Dumbledore accepted it and waved everyone else off that might have tried to take Harry away. Relaxing and seeing Melusine do a quick spell over the three kids (a memory charm, Harry was sure, to make them forget they had seen her Apparate into Hogwarts) Harry turned his attention back to Severus. 

His skin was beginning to have a nasty blue tint to it. 

"Oh, no," Harry moaned softly. 

Lupin's grip on his shoulder tightened and Harry felt a wet nose against his hand. Harry reached a hand down and stroked Snuffle's fur. 

"Everyone needs to leave...." Madam Pomfrey began. 

"Narcissa! Draco!" came Mrs. Weasley's shocked voice from the door. 

Harry whirled around to see the two of them striding into view. Draco was shaking, his hair was all over his sweat and tear stained face, and his robes were muddy and torn. Narcissa looked strange, her face was tight with some inner emotion and in her hand were four needles. 

Harry's body was quaking. He wanted to ram his fist into Draco's obnoxious face. 

Madam Pomfrey moved to intercept Narcissa when Melusine jerked her back. "Let Narcissa take care of him, she knows what to do." 

"It was Draco that did this!" Mad-Eye Moody thundered and Draco flinched. 

"And it's Draco that fixed this," Melusine returned, giving everyone a look that plainly told them to leave Narcissa alone. 

Dumbledore glanced at Melusine, his face slightly unsure, and then nodded at everyone to obey her. 

Narcissa was completely ignoring everything. She had already stripped Severus's robes off, luckily he wore a dark green T-shirt and black shorts underneath. 

"Hagrid, hold his right arm," Narcissa said. 

Hagrid looked to Dumbledore, who nodded his head. Lumbering over, Hagrid held Severus's arm down while Narcissa injected the needle and plunged the clear green liquid into his body. 

"The antidote?" Melusine asked. 

"Yes," Narcissa said, indicating Hagrid to hold down his left arm. Harry scurried backwards to give them room. "If you want to arrest Lucius, he is on our living room floor in a simpering heap. Avery and Karkaroff are unconscious beside him." 

So, Karkaroff was back. The information that Severus had been a spy before Voldemort's downfall had probably gotten him partial forgiveness from Voldemort and eased Voldemort's wrath over Karkaroff's running away the night Voldemort returned. 

Harry looked to Draco, wondering how he was going to take the news that Severus was against Voldemort, but Draco didn't seem to be listening. He was staring at Severus, his entire body quaking, as he hugged himself. 

When the last injection was done, Severus's body was no longer bluish and the convulsions had stopped. 

"Will he be okay?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she gathered up the empty needles. 

Narcissa ran a trembling hand through her hair. "Yes," she nodded. "He'll be okay. He'll be very ill for a couple of weeks, though. But he'll be okay." She suddenly started to smile as tears threatened to escape her eyes. "I did it! I saved him! I couldn't save anyone before but I did it this time! I knew how! I wasn't helpless like before. I handled it! No one carried me off this time," Narcissa shook her head, the tears, having escaped, streamed down her excited face. "No one carried me off! I did it. I saved him!" 

Urzula, who Harry hadn't noticed before, walked up to Narcissa and put a hand on her back. "Yes, you did." 

Harry swallowed. He had never really thought about how that Raid would have effected Narcissa. She hadn't been of any help, just getting dragged off, unable to stop her kidnappers or to help anyone, not even herself. That helplessness must have killed her. No wonder why Severus never bothered her. He must have realized it, too. 

"What does she mean?" Mrs. Weasley asked, from somewhere behind Harry. 

Harry ignored everyone and walked up to stand next to Severus. His skin was still awfully cold and wet but his breathing was easier. 

Urzula hugged Narcissa, lowering her onto the bed beside Severus's, and let her cry onto her shoulder. Narcissa was babbling incoherently, but Harry could make out the words: mum, daddy, Katrina. Harry hoped no one else could. 

"No one in this room is to tell anyone about what Draco did," Melusine told them, once again taking charge. 

Several people looked to Dumbledore, not used to this, but he looked to Melusine, obviously deferring to her. 

"How are we going to hide it?" Moody asked, glaring at Draco. 

Draco sank down next to his mother, still shaking, his hands in his lap and his head bowed. Harry had never realized how long Draco's bangs were before. They were covering his face and he was hiding behind them, just like Severus always did. 

"Professor Snape has come down with a new version of the flu," Melusine informed them all, "that he picked up in another country while getting potion supplies. Highly irregular but he had to do it for the potion was very important. The entire school has to be inoculated against it. Madam Pomfrey was kindly given the vaccine from the country to prevent its spread." 

Madam Pomfrey looked at Draco and then nodded her head. "Okay, I get some general health potions and inject those into everyone." 

Melusine inclined her head. "Thank you. Now everyone but Lupin, Snuffles, Dumbledore, Harry, Draco, Narcissa, and Urzula need to leave. What happens here tonight will be discussed with you all later but not right now." 

A few grumbled but, seeing that Dumbledore approved this course of action, they all left. 

Melusine looked to Dumbledore. "Draco is your student. I think you should ask the questions." 

Dumbledore smiled slightly at her and then turned his attention back to Draco. 

"Draco?" he asked softly. 

Draco flinched again. Narcissa straightened up, wiping at her eyes, and grinned at Urzula. 

"Thank you. I'm better now," she said, casting a worried glanced at Severus's still unconscious form. "It's not Draco's fault. It's mine." 

"Narcissa..." Dumbledore began but Narcissa held up a hand. 

"I've never given Draco the attention he's needed. And neither has Lucius. Draco has always had to do things for Lucius: get the highest grades, be the best Quidditch player, hate and despise Muggles, fawn over the memory of Voldemort, be obsessed with the Dark Arts and crap like that. Draco isn't stupid. He knows his father will dump him if he doesn't behave right." Narcissa turned to Draco with a frown. "I've never been there for him. Running as fast as I could away from my past, afraid to stop." 

Dumbledore glanced at Draco. "Lucius asked you to poison Severus?" 

Draco nodded his head. "He sent me a letter. Told me how much the Dark Lord would praise me for it. Told me how much he would love me for doing it," Draco shook his head. "Only love me until he needed something else. After I poisoned Professor Snape I headed to his rooms to talk to him. I always talked to him when I was upset over something by father did or said. But this time, I realized, would be the last time. I had killed the only person who loved me just for being me." Draco finally lifted his head, his lower lip quivering. "Professor Snape doesn't care if I'm the best student, he doesn't care if I play Quidditch, he doesn't care if I like the Dark Arts or the Dark Lord. He just likes me because I got into Slytherin," Draco's body trembled. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill him. He's the only person who's ever loved me." 

Dumbledore smiled grimly as he looked at Severus's still form and Harry saw a triumphant gleam in his eyes. It was working. Voldemort was already losing supporters to Severus. 

"You told your mother after you poisoned him?" Dumbledore asked, turning his attention back to Draco. 

Narcissa put an arm around Draco. "Yes, he did. He sent me an owl. He had to go into Hogsmeade to get one of their one-hour deliveries. I got the owl and immediately got some Veritaserum to give to Lucius," Narcissa grinned. "I stunned Karkaroff and Avery and then tied Lucius up with rope from my wand. He talked very quickly under the Veritaserum. One thing about Lucius, he has no will. A cowardly, spineless wimp. I got the antidote and immediately came here." 

"But... why?" Dumbledore asked, finally letting some confusion cross his face. "I can see Draco trying to save Severus, but why you?" 

Narcissa looked to Melusine and then to Severus. "Severus is my brother." 

Dumbledore's eyes went round behind his spectacles. Lupin rocked backwards and Snuffles cocked his head in shock. Draco's mouth was wide open. 

"What?!" a few people said, Harry couldn't tell who. Harry felt sort of guilty for not telling anyone about this. 

"Yes," Melusine answered for her, "Severus and Narcissa are siblings. Shocking, eh?" she said, sounding quite amused. 

Dumbledore walked up to Severus. "What other secrets is he hiding from me?" he half-growled. 

"A few," Urzula supplied with a wink. "Sorry, Albus, but we Dark Forest people are private individuals." 

"Dark Forest?!" Draco asked, turning to his mother in shock. "You're from the Dark Forest?" 

Narcissa sighed, nodding her head. "Yes. I'm afraid you're going to have to be living there from now on, too. Lucius will divorce me for what I did and disown you." She hugged Draco tightly to her. "I'm very proud of you. I doubt if you care about what I have to say, I don't deserve for you to, but thank you for not letting Severus die." 

Draco stiffened a bit and pulled back. "I... I.. I just couldn't do it. If it had been another teacher I wouldn't have cared." He looked at Harry. "If it had been you I would have enjoyed it," he said truthfully. 

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay." 

Draco looked to Dumbledore, his face defiant. "Am I going to Azkaban?" 

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. You are sorry for what you have done and I forgive people for their mistakes." 

Draco's gray eyes flickered over to Severus's bed. "You think... you think," he swallowed, "you think he might," he asked, his voice contorted in pain and worry, "forgive me?" 

"I don't know," Dumbledore answered. "Can he be woken?" he asked Narcissa. 

Narcissa nodded her head, rubbing Draco's back. "Yes. He'll be very weak, though. Don't expect him to be able to sit up." 

Draco moved away from his mother, hugging himself again, and went to stand next to Severus's bed. Narcissa went to stand behind him, but she didn't touch him. 

Harry stayed where he was. 

"_Enervate,_" Dumbledore whispered gently as he pointed his wand at Severus's chest. 

Severus's eyes blinked opened. "Wha...?" he murmured thickly. 

"Don't try to get up," Dumbledore said, placing a hand on Severus's chest to keep him from moving. "Someone has something to say to you," he said, looking at Draco. 

Severus's head and eyes followed Dumbledore's line of sight. "Hello, Draco," Severus said pleasantly. "Narcissa?" he asked. 

Narcissa nodded her head. "Hi. Draco told me what he had done right after he did it. He saved your life." 

"Do you.. um.. do you..?" he started, swallowing. 

Narcissa nodded her head. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she whispered, flinging herself onto her brother. 

Dumbledore pulled Harry away. "Leave them alone." 

Harry didn't want to go, he wanted to stay. But Harry left with Dumbledore, Lupin, and Snuffles to lounge at the end bed. Far enough away not to really hear what was going on. Melusine and Urzula joined them. 

"Well, I hope this is the last surprise," Dumbledore growled at Melusine, "that I'll be getting." 

Melusine widened her mouth in mock surprise and then she smiled wickedly. "Not exactly. Two more are going to be coming soon, with any luck," she said roguishly, winking at Harry. 

Dumbledore's face tinged pink. "Tell me! Tell me now!" 

"Getting demanding, are we?" Urzula chuckled. 

Dumbledore straightened his back out to stand at his full-height. He still wasn't any taller than Melusine. "I would like to know what these secrets are," he said, getting annoyed. 

Melusine smiled. "Understandable. Does Snuffles know?" she asked. 

Harry nodded. 

Dumbledore looked at the three of them. 

"Severus was married to Florence Wilkes and they had two children." Dumbledore looked angry with himself. "He hid them and this summer Harry discovered a way to get them back. We are working on the spell as we speak. Narcissa? Draco?" 

Harry started as Melusine moved to reveal a very pale Narcissa and Draco. 

"He has kids?" she breathed. 

Melusine nodded her head. "Yes. A son and a daughter. The boy, Patrick, is seventeen and deaf and the girl is fifteen. I know nothing about the girl. Florence died the same day she was born and Severus hid them that same day." 

Dumbledore's shoulders sank. 

"Does he know you are searching for them?" Draco demanded. 

"No, don't tell him," Harry said promptly. "We want to make sure they are okay first." 

Draco looked like he wanted to say something nasty to Harry but he shut his mouth. 

"Did Severus forgive you?" Lupin asked. 

Draco forgot to sneer at his least favorite teacher and smiled broadly. "Yes. He said he was expecting me to do it because he knew how much I wanted my father's attention," Draco blushed a bit. "He just wasn't expecting it to happen so soon. He thought he had until sixth year to find a way to make sure none of us Slytherins could poison him if our parents asked us to. He said he thought Karkaroff would hold out longer." 

Narcissa hugged herself. "He's sleeping right now," she covered her mouth with a trembling hand. "I didn't know him and Florence had gotten married. Some sister I've been," she muttered, looking away. "He knew I was married to Lucius. And he's always treated Draco with love. What have I done for him?" 

Urzula went to stand next to her and put an arm around her. "You can start helping him right now." 

Harry watched Narcissa gaze at Urzula with red-rimmed eyes, her face troubled, but she finally nodded. 

"I will. I'll help now." 

"I'll need to get a substitute for Potions and someone to be Head of Slytherin House for awhile," Dumbledore murmured, looking at Urzula and Melusine. 

They both shook their heads. 

"I'm sorry, Albus," Melusine apologized, "but we both have to get back." 

"I understand," Dumbledore said heavily. "It's not easy being the one in charge, is it?" 

Melusine shook her head. "Not easy in the least." 

Narcissa raised a timid hand. "I'll take over Potions. I know just as much as Sev. And be Head of Slytherin until Severus is on his feet." 

"Who'll take care of him?" Melusine questioned. 

Snuffles barked. 

"You?" Lupin asked, shocked. "But.... I mean.... you don't exactly like him?" 

Snuffles barked again. 

Narcissa and Draco looked at each other and then at Lupin. 

"That's a dog," Draco said, rather shortly. "Not a person." 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. "I think that would be an excellent idea. Sirius?" 

And Snuffles changed into Sirius. 

Draco backed up but Narcissa stayed where she was. 

"It wasn't you then?" she asked, looking at Dumbledore. "It wasn't Sirius that betrayed James and Lily?" 

Dumbledore shook his head. "No. It was Peter Pettigrew, Wormtail." 

Narcissa didn't seem overly surprised. "Oh," she murmured, turning to Draco. "You won't tell anyone about this, right?" 

Draco shook his head, looking at them all with slight disgust. "No. I won't," he muttered. "I'm going to check on Professor Snape." 

"Uncle Severus," Narcissa corrected. 

Draco jerked his head to stare at her and then he grinned. "Yeah, Uncle Severus." 

When he was out of earshot, Dumbledore lowered his voice. "Can we trust him?" 

Narcissa nodded her head. "Yes. Draco isn't going to be friendly with you all quite yet. He's too full of hate right now. But with Lucius out of his life and with him knowing Severus is his uncle, I think he'll start changing pretty quickly. But we can trust him. He won't betray Severus. I still can't believe he told me," she whispered, looking shocked. "He's been talking about serving Voldemort since he was a toddler, how glorious it would be, and then when he finally gets his chance he throws it away. He must really care about Severus a lot." 

Harry grinned. A fair number of the Slytherins did. They were a tight bunch. 

Dumbledore smiled and looked at Sirius. "Are you sure you want to take care of Severus?" 

Sirius shrugged. "I'm the only one who can. Besides, it'll be nice having something else to do besides skulk around the castle." 

Harry stepped to go see Severus when Melusine held him back. Narcissa smiled politely and then left to see her brother some more. 

"They need time alone, Harry," she said. "They haven't seen each other for a very long time. I don't think anyone should bother Severus until Sunday. Let him, Narcissa, and Draco catch up." 

Harry, annoyed, only nodded his head. Melusine was right. Harry wasn't a part of their family. Sirius put a hand on his shoulder, reminding Harry of his own family. Harry grinned at him over his shoulder. 

"Have fun with Ariel," Harry smiled. 

"Who?" Sirius asked, his eyebrows raised. 

"Severus's Cu Sith," Urzula supplied. "Sev's his or her pet." 

"Don't you mean, it's his pet?" Dumbledore corrected. 

Melusine grinned, shaking her head, her eyes twinkling. "No. Severus is Ariel's pet. And Ariel is a female." 

Dumbledore took a deep breath. "I'm going to have a long talk with Severus when he's fully awake." 

"Just don't mention his kids," Harry said. 

Dumbledore shook his head. "I won't tell him we are trying to find them, but I want him to admit to me that he's been married and had kids. It's not good for him to be keeping that kind of information back from me." 

Harry could see his point. "I'll be back here on Sunday at four?" 

Melusine patted his shoulder. "That'll do." Melusine reached into her robe pocket and pulled out two spheres. "Here, Dumbledore. This is for you, and the other one is for Narcissa. Harry will tell you how to use it." 

With that her and Urzula left. 

Harry explained to Dumbledore how to use it. He stared at Harry for a few seconds before making an indistinct noise in his throat and leaving, too. 

Harry grinned weakly at Lupin and Sirius. "He's a bit mad at me, I think." 

Lupin smiled. "Probably realized how much the fame has gotten to your head." Harry stuck his tongue out at Lupin, slightly insulted. "He's not used to people keeping secrets from him. He's usually the one keeping them." 

Dumbledore explained to the rest of the Order about Narcissa and Severus being related to each other but mentioned nothing about Sev's kids. Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were totally shocked. 

Hermione hit her head with her hand as the four of them trudged back to Gryffindor Tower. Neville was already back there, not having been included. 

"I should have guessed," she moaned. "It was there all along. The way Snape favors Draco so much. Never giving Draco detention, even when he deserved it. Claiming Draco was the best student in Potions when that honor belongs to me." 

Ron rolled his eyes at Hermione's last sentence. "I can't believe it either. And here I just thought Snape was being a biased scum bag." 

Harry sighed in slight annoyance but refrained from retorting. Hopefully Ron would come along soon. 

"That must have been one hard decision for Draco," Hermione murmured. "Save Snape or join You-Know-Who," she shuddered. "I'm glad he choose to save Snape." 

Harry wasn't positive, but he could have sworn he heard Ron mutter, "Yeah, me too," under his breath. 

Maybe there was hope for him after all. 

The entire school got inoculated on Saturday morning and the news that Severus was very ill with a foreign virus spread among the entire school by lunch. Some of the kids from the other houses were quite pleased, feeling that Severus deserved it after the way he treated everyone. But some were worried. They had noticed that Severus had been acting better this year and hoped this virus didn't make him revert back to his old self. 

The Slytherins were worried. They wanted to see Severus but weren't being allowed, which angered them. Draco had returned amongst the Slytherins and no one questioned him about where he had been on Friday night. Apparently it wasn't uncommon for Draco to go into Hogsmeade on Friday night to get candy, butterbeer, or something else for himself. 

Siara postponed the sign language meeting until the next Saturday, being too worried about Severus to concentrate and the rest of the group didn't feel like meeting without her. 

During Sunday lunch, Narcissa finally showed up for a meal. She looked quite pretty. Harry had forgotten how gorgeous she was. The school murmured at seeing her, knowing who she was, and Draco pretended to look surprised at seeing his mother. 

Dumbledore nodded to her as she sat down and then stood up himself. 

"Since Professor Snape will be ill for a few weeks and unable to teach," there was scattered applause and hoots at his announcement, the Slytherins giving everyone death-glares for being pleased, "I have asked Narcissa Malfoy to take over for him. She will be the temporary Potions Mistress and Head of Slytherin House." 

Narcissa bowed slightly as she stood. "Since my husband is in the process of divorcing me, I shall like to go by my maiden name, Narcissa Snape." 

There wasn't a sound in the Great Hall as everyone stared at her. 

Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes. Narcissa is Professor Snape's sister. So as not to confuse anyone she will be addressed as Madam Snape." 

The Slytherins stared at Draco. He blushed a bit. They looked too shocked for Harry to tell if they were pleased or not. He guessed he would find that out tomorrow. 

Four o'clock didn't come fast enough for Harry. Ron, Hermione, and even Ginny followed him up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey smiled at them, putting a finger to her lips. 

"He's sleeping. Keep quiet." 

Harry nodded his head and tiptoed over to Severus's bed. His face looked different. Harry couldn't quite place his finger on it. Severus just looked more, well, less unpleasant. 

"He's looks younger," Hermione remarked, looking down at him. 

That he did. Harry had been slightly surprised to find that Severus was Sirius and Lupin's age, since Severus had always just seemed so much older, but now Severus did look their age. 

Harry fiddled with the blankets until Pomfrey shooed them out a few minutes later. "I'll come get you when he's awake," she promised. "Stay in your Common Room so I can find you." 

Harry did as he was told. And around seven they were called back. Hermione, Ginny, and Ron elected to stay. Harry had overheard Ron whispering to the others, telling them that Harry should be allowed to see Snape by himself. Harry was rather grateful about that. He did want to see Severus by himself. 

Walking around the screen, Harry grinned. "You look horrible." 

Severus winced. "I feel worse, trust me." He grinned. "So, how do you like my sister?" 

Harry smiled widely. "She's a cute thing. It's a good thing she's older than me or...." he broke off, laughing at the stunned expression on Severus's face. 

"You stay away from her!" Severus growled. 

Harry held up his hands. "Of course. I think I might be starting to like Ginny Weasley. She's quite nice." 

"And your age," Severus said, still glaring at Harry. 

Harry laughed. "Forget I said that!" 

"Mmmm," Severus mumbled. "But Black and Lupin are her age," he winced. "I'm sure they'll be bugging her." 

Harry's eyes widened. He hadn't thought about that. "I don't think they'll be bugging her. She's not even divorced yet. But I'll tell them to leave her alone." 

"Thank you," Severus smiled, relaxing a bit. "Have they told you how long I'm going to be incapacitated?" 

"Two weeks or more," Harry said. 

"Two or more weeks of Black?" Severus groaned. "Maybe Black can switch places with Lupin using polyjuice potion?" 

Harry shook his head. "Everyone would be able to tell. Lupin is very patient and Sirius is, well...." 

"A hothead. Impatient. Quick to anger-" Severus began. 

Harry put a hand over his mouth. "I get it," he growled, wondering how Sirius and Severus were going to survive each other over the next couple of weeks. 

"I'm glad you have your sister back," Harry smiled. 

Severus looked away, "Me, too," he murmured. 

Harry, remembering how much he had hated Ron looking at him when he wanted to cry, gently patted Severus's arm. 

"I'll see you later," he whispered and left, passing Narcissa on his way out. 

Harry smiled at her. 

"I'm not that bad," came Sirius's annoyed voice by his ear. 

"Well," Harry paused, "you do have a temper." 

"Do not!" Sirius snapped. "Well, maybe a little one." 

Harry laughed. "These next several weeks are going to be interesting." 


	11. Ariel

Body Disclaimer: all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter. 

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews! 

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 11: Ariel 

Harry swallowed nervously as he headed for the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore had sent a note requesting him that evening and Harry hoped he wasn't in too much trouble for keeping secrets from Dumbledore. Especially since there were a few more that he had. 

On his way, Harry passed a few teachers talking with each other about Severus having a sister. 

"I thought he was an only child?" came Sinistra's voice. 

"I bet you didn't see this in your crystal ball," Moody growled. 

Trelawney sniffed and flung one end of her shawl over her shoulder. "Maybe not, but maybe I did. It's not something one without the burden of the inner eye can relate to. Some things," she said airily, "are just private," and with that she flounced off. 

McGonagall watched her go with distaste. "It's a shame we can't afford to hire a real one. It would save us lots of trouble." 

Harry grinned as he hurried past. Arriving at Dumbledore's door, he knocked and the door opened. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, looking rather stern. Something he had never looked with Harry before. 

"What other secrets are you hiding from me?" he growled a bit. 

Harry blushed as he sat down. "A few, and I can't tell you those either." 

Dumbledore's face tinged pink and then he shook his head, his eyes twinkling merrily. "For the first time I realize why some people want to hit me over the head with a stick. It's not pleasant being kept in the dark. Are these secrets dangerous?" Dumbledore asked, his voice hard. 

Harry shrugged. "Some aren't, some might be." 

"Harry," Dumbledore said quietly. "I can guarantee you that nothing you say in this room will ever leave it." 

Wanting to confide in Dumbledore, Harry looked around. "If I told you something about someone and you didn't like it, thought they were dangerous, would you still keep it a secret?" 

Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes, you have my word." 

Harry decided to trust him. "Melusine is a Seidr," he said. 

Dumbledore didn't seem shocked, he just nodded. "Interesting. I was wondering if we had one in Britain. It seemed odd that we didn't." 

Harry relaxed a bit. "So you don't mind?" 

"No, Harry," Dumbledore smiled. "I have no trouble with Seidr. I don't know everything about them but what I do know makes me trust them. What are your other secrets?" 

Harry swallowed and explained to him all about Evan Rosier's Pensieve. 

This time, Dumbledore looked worried. "He was in it? His mind?" 

Harry nodded, not quite getting why Dumbledore was so worried. "What's wrong with that?" 

"Nothing," Dumbledore murmured. "It may be nothing. You said that you and Lucius had gone in it before so maybe Evan can't use anyone that goes into his Pensieve to bring himself back to life like Voldemort tried to do with his diary." 

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. I doubt it." 

"Is that all?" Dumbledore asked, smiling a bit. 

Harry nodded his head. "No more secrets. Well, just the teenage ones that I don't want to tell anyone about. Crushes and that sort of thing." 

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he hid a grin. "Ah yes, I remember being a teenager. It's not something anyone can forget. It's too horrible." 

Harry grinned. "It can be. Did you talk with Severus?" Harry asked. 

Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes. He didn't mention anything about Melusine being a Seidr but I don't blame him for that. I just wish he had told me about Florence and his kids." 

"I guess he saw no point," Harry soothed. "There was nothing you could do about it." 

Dumbledore still looked troubled. "I know. I just wished he had felt like it was something he could come to me with. No matter," Dumbledore said, straightening up a bit. "Melusine and I are working on getting his kids back. With the two of us doing the spell it will take less time." 

Harry sat up, his hands gripping the edge of the chair. "How much less?" 

Dumbledore smiled. "It should be ready in three weeks. We have the tears from Severus already and we have the rest of the ingredients too. I got rather impatient and got them all myself this weekend." 

It looked like Dumbledore wanted them to find Sev's kids as much as Harry did, more so, actually. 

"We'll find them," Harry reassured him. 

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Aren't I the one that is supposed to be reassuring you?" 

Harry shrugged. "Everyone needs reassuring once in awhile." 

"Very true," Dumbledore murmured as he indicated the door. "I'm sure your friends are missing you. Thank you for stopping by." 

"You're welcome and see you tomorrow," Harry excused himself. 

He met Neville on the way back to Gryffindor Tower. Neville was holding a scrapbook and seemed to be debating with himself. 

"Neville?" Harry questioned. 

Neville glanced shyly at him. "I was just wondering if, maybe, I could see Professor Snape?" 

Harry shrugged. "I don't see why not. I'll take you." 

Harry wasn't sure if Madam Pomfrey would allow them to see Severus since Harry had already seen him that day but she just waved them in. 

"He might fall asleep while you're talking to him but he's awake right now. We are moving him to his rooms tomorrow morning," she told them as they walked by her to get to Severus. 

Severus looked tired but he smiled slightly at seeing them. "Hello, Harry, Neville," he greeted. 

Neville blushed and held up the scrapbook so Severus could see it. 

Severus grinned. "Ah, yes." 

Neville looked at Harry and then at Severus and Harry realized that Neville wanted to be alone with Severus. Slightly annoyed, but only slightly, Harry waved to the two of them. 

"I have to get back, I need to talk with someone," Harry said. "See you tomorrow. I'll check on you after classes tomorrow, Severus." 

Severus nodded his head while Neville looked relieved. Hopefully, one day soon, Neville would be comfortable around Harry and they would become friends. 

Harry hurried to find Sirius, Lupin, and then Narcissa and Draco to tell them that they only had three weeks left before Sev's kids were found. Narcissa started to teach them more sign language that very night. 

"I wonder how the Slytherins are taking to Madam Snape?" Ron asked as he pulled his robe over his head. "I still can't believe she's Snape's sister. She's so pretty!" he said, rather dreamily. "And he's so ugly!" he scoffed. 

Neville scowled at Ron but didn't say anything. Harry wanted to punch Ron again but settled for yanking his robe over his own head. Ron was a git! Harry guessed that now that Severus was safe, Ron felt he could go back to treating Snape like he had before he got ill. 

The time didn't pass soon enough for Harry and he finally found himself in Potions, sitting at one of the front tables. Narcissa came in wearing dark blue robes that, while they looked nice, were certainly not expensive. 

As the Slytherins filed in, Harry watched their faces. Some of them were looking annoyed at Narcissa, some looked resentful, others looked pleased and welcoming. That was to be expected. Draco looked embarrassed, which was also normal. 

The class was actually quite good. Narcissa knew as much about Potions as her brother did and was quite patient. She too helped Neville instead of choosing a student partner for him. And Narcissa favored the Slytherins, about as bad as Severus had. Many of the Slytherins quit looked annoyed at her when they saw how she treated them. 

"Not bad," Hermione whispered as they left Potions. "She treats them just like Snape did." 

"Good," Harry whispered before Ron could say anything nasty. 

After classes, Harry dragged them both to check up on Severus. Draco let them in, having just arrived before they did. He was scowling as he closed the door and charmed it. 

"Your godfather doesn't know how to behave!" he hissed at Harry. 

"What?" Harry demanded, looking past Draco and into the room. 

A sofa had been moved into the living room area and Sirius was laying on it, holding something to his cheek. 

"What happened?" Harry questioned him, worried. 

"That beast!" Sirius snarled. 

"Uncle Severus isn't a beast!" Draco snarled back at him. 

Sirius lifted his head to stare at Draco, his right hand coming down a bit. Harry could see that his lip was cracked and his cheek and eye were bruised. What had Severus done? 

"Not him," Sirius spat, "his Green Demon!" 

Ariel? 

Severus's bedroom door crashed down and there she stood. She was snarling and the hair along her back was raised. 

Draco, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all backed up into the door, shaking and gripping their wands. 

"You see!" Sirius screamed. "She's horrible!" 

The Cu Sith's massive head turned to him and Harry suddenly remembered what he had read about Cu Siths attacking and eating their owners. Was she going to do that to Sirius? 

"Help!" Harry yelled. 

"Ariel!" came Severus's hoarse voice. "Leave Black alone! He didn't mean anything!" 

Ariel just snarled at Sirius but she did turn back around and lumber back into the bedroom. Sirius fell back onto the sofa. 

Draco's mouth was open. "That was a Cu Sith!" 

"You've never seen it before?" Harry asked as Draco suddenly realized he was next to the three of them and pushed away, wiping at his robes. 

"No," Draco admitted, glaring at Harry, "Professor Snape's quarters...." 

"Uncle Severus," Sirius snapped. 

"Uncle Severus's," Draco said, half-amused and half-annoyed, "quarters are his own. We don't go into them." 

By we, he meant Slytherins. 

Harry passed by the now doorless bedroom to see Severus sleeping on his bed with Ariel sitting on it, gazing at the doorway with unfriendly eyes. Harry gulped and hurried by to check on Sirius. 

"What happened?" Harry asked, helping him to sit up. 

Sirius's robes were a bit messed up too. A few scratches and tears adorned Lupin's old robe. 

"Never," Sirius said, shaking his head, "try to touch a man whose sleeping while their Cu Sith is watching. Pomfrey told me to wake him up every few hours to make sure he relieved himself or had something to eat. Well, Ariel didn't like that." 

Harry winced. "Is this going to work out?" Harry asked. 

Sirius nodded his head. "Yeah. Ariel will get used to me and if she really thought I meant any harm to Snape I would be dead by now. She's just putting me in my place, so to speak, making sure I know whose boss," Sirius scowled. "I don't get why Snape's always naming his dangerous or disgusting pets or friends, or whatever they are, nice names. What kind of name is Ariel for a Cu Sith that could kill a person if it got annoyed enough? And Chelsea for that other owner of his? And then there was Anabel!" 

"Anabel?" Harry asked. 

"Chelsea?" Hermione asked. 

Sirius made a face. "Anabel was Severus's pet cockroach when he was a second year!" 

Draco snickered. "No wonder why he won't let us kill any cockroaches we see in the Slytherin dungeons. We have to put a stunning spell on them and then put them in a jar and hand them over to him." 

Sirius shuddered. "Sounds like him. He's a freak." 

"He is not!" Draco said hotly. 

Sirius and Draco were glaring at each other and Harry turned to grin at Ron and Hermione. This was going to be fun. 

"You two quit," came Narcissa's voice as she walked out of the bedroom. 

"Where were you?" Harry asked and then noticed her hair was still wet. "Oh," he muttered. 

Narcissa winced as she got a good look at Sirius's face. "That herb poultice isn't doing any good," she said. 

Hearing a sound, Harry turned around to see Severus standing in his doorway, looking down at his door. 

"What happened?" he asked, yawning. 

"Your Cu Sith!" Sirius hissed. 

"You see," Severus said, pointing a long finger at Sirius, "that is her problem. I'm her human, she's not my Cu Sith. You keep making disparaging remarks about her. She owns me, not the other way around." 

Sirius rolled his eyes. "How much did she pay for you?" he asked, annoyed. 

Severus turned to walk drowsily to his table that now had ten chairs around it. Draco rushed over to help him. "She didn't pay for me," Severus said stiffly. "She found me." 

"I bet she did," Sirius bit out, "what did you do, lay down in Cu Sith territory and hope that one would find you?" 

Severus's face tinged red as he sat down. "Maybe." 

"What do you expect from a man who likes cockroaches?" Sirius muttered, putting the herb poultice back on his bruised eye and cheek. 

Ron and Hermione were exchanging nervous glances about being in the same room with a recovering Severus and a Cu Sith. Ariel walked out of the bedroom, snarled at Sirius, and went to sit down next to Severus. He absently stroked her fur. 

Harry scooted Sirius up so he, Ron, and Hermione could sit down. Draco and Narcissa sat next to Severus at the table. 

"Whose couch?" Harry asked. 

Severus looked over at him, his eyelids fairly heavy. "What?" he muttered sleepily. 

"Whose couch?" Harry asked again, louder. 

"Oh, that's Lupin's. He said he wouldn't be needing it. Narcissa sleeps on it at night." He yawned again and put his head down on his folded arms and fell asleep. 

Draco looked sheepishly at Severus, knowing that it was his fault Severus felt the way he did, and then looked at his mother. "You sleep on a couch? I'm sorry," he blushed. 

Narcissa grinned. "Draco, when I was a child I didn't have a bed. Trust me, a couch is just fine." 

"You didn't have a bed?" Draco asked, scandalized. 

Narcissa looked at him. "Um, Draco. In the Dark Forest, everyone is poverty stricken. You aren't going to have a bed when we go there this summer, or running water." 

"What?!" Draco and Ron asked together, both aghast. 

Shaking her head, Narcissa smiled. "No running water. We had to haul our water from the river or use a well. The ones that could use magic just used water spells from their wands, but even then it could be annoying because it was just a small stream that came out and if you had to fill something up, that took forever. Severus and I only used that spell to take showers with." 

"Where did you take them?" Harry asked curiously, remembering that their house had had only one room in it. 

"Outside," Narcissa said, looking at Draco. 

His mouth dropped. "Outside! I'm going to have to bathe outside!" 

"Yes," Narcissa said seriously, "and you are going to have no servants and live in a one room house with me and hopefully, three other people if all goes well." 

"In a one room house?!" Draco said, horrified. "I don't get my own room! There's no separate kitchen? Or living room? How about a library?" 

Narcissa shook her head, staring off into space, rather dreamily. "No, none of that. You'll either learn to sleep with plenty of noise around, like Sev can," she said, tapping her brother on his back, who didn't even wake as Ariel growled at Narcissa, "or you'll be getting up at the crack of dawn when I'll be waking to start our breakfast. It'll be fun," she sighed, still looking dreamy. 

Draco looked mortified. "Yeah, great, sounds like a blast," he muttered. 

"Well, we best be going," Sirius said, "the kids need to do their homework before our sign language class this evening." 

Harry quickly said good-bye and they left. Ron was barely doing this homework, looking off into the distance every once in a while and then sighing. 

"What is it?" Hermione finally snapped as she rolled up her completed homework. 

Ron poked at a book with his finger. "Do you think Madam Snape was serious about being so poor?" 

"Yes," Harry said. "From what Melusine has told me, the people can't even afford to buy candy. They have no money and all their stuff is probably items that Muggles and Wizards throw away. Trash that they can use." 

Ron shifted in his seat. "And I thought I was poor. I have a bed. And my own room. And we have a kitchen and living room that are separate. Imagine living in a one room house!" he shivered. "How many of them were there?" 

Harry did a quick count. There would have been five, not counting the grandparents. "I don't know," Harry said. 

Ron shook his head. "The two of them and then maybe one parent. So that's either three or four." 

"Unless there's another sibling," Hermione spoke up. "We just now found out about Narcissa. Maybe there are others that they aren't talking about." 

Harry just shrugged and Ron fiddled with his robes. 

Severus was asleep when they all crowded into his rooms to learn sign language. His door was still off its hinges but Narcissa was right, Severus could sleep through quite a bit of noise. 

Dumbledore was even at this session, determined to learn sign language too, so he could talk with Severus's son. Harry cornered him after the meeting was over in his office. 

"Can Patrick come to Hogwarts even if he's deaf?" Harry demanded. "I don't think it's fair, not letting him, just because he's deaf." 

Dumbledore steepled his fingers together. "I don't know, Harry." 

"I'm starting a school, you know," Harry informed him. "When I leave Hogwarts, I'm starting a magic school for deaf kids." 

Dumbledore looked pleased. "That's a great idea, Harry." 

Harry blushed. "But, isn't it illegal?" 

"I'm working on that, Harry," he said quietly. "I've contacted several people in the Ministry and am trying to have that law revoked. Many deaf kids, thanks to Severus's illegal books, already know quite a bit about magic." 

"You know about them?" Harry asked. 

Dumbledore nodded his head. "I thought he wrote them to keep himself busy. One thing about Severus, he didn't like free time. He was constantly doing something, spending time with his Slytherins, doing a Potion, working on lessons, grading papers, or writing books. He just never seemed to want to sit back and relax. I guess I don't blame him. When his kids come, if they do, I hope he starts relaxing and just sits there doing nothing for awhile. Maybe even play chess or a game of exploding Snap." 

Harry smiled and excused himself. Dumbledore seemed to be taking this pretty hard. But it was possible that he partially blamed himself for Severus's missing children. Severus didn't go to him with his children, he went to someone else. That had to hurt. 

As the days went by, Harry and the rest feverishly learned sign language in all their spare time. It was even so bad that Harry found himself doing signs while he practiced Quidditch. Ron and Hermione gave up trying to learn it, they were going too fast, and neither of them knew why Harry was so adamant about learning it. Neville, however, after Harry dragged him to one session, found himself enjoying it. Sirius had to stay in his cloak but Harry thought it was worth it for Neville to have something to do. 

Sirius was still having trouble with Ariel and finally just bowed to her one day and told her that he was but a lowly servant of hers. She put a paw on his head, barked, and then let Sirius get on with helping Severus like he was supposed to. Sirius turned purple whenever anyone mentioned this to him and it was something that everyone but Severus liked to tease him about. Severus seemed to think everyone else should do it too and kept asking them to. Harry finally did it one day and joined Sirius in being a Cu Sith's servant. 

"Why are you all learning this so quickly?" Severus asked as he stumbled out of his bedroom, the door was finally in place, and looked quizzically at them all. "You have three more years practically," he said. 

They all shrugged helplessly and went on with it. Severus and Neville exchanged bemused glances and Severus went back to bed. 

Severus got better fairly quickly and was able to take his job as Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House back, but Narcissa kept on. She became Neville's partner and helped take some of the workload of Severus, grading papers and other assorted tasks. Harry got the feeling she was waiting around for when Severus took time off when his kids were found. 

Three weeks after Severus had been poisoned, on a Monday after classes, Melusine and Dumbledore gathered their little group up and forced Severus to sit in a chair with a smoking goblet in front of him. 

"What is this?!" he asked, looking rather nervous as he gazed at them all staring at him. 

"Drink it," Dumbledore said quickly, "it's the last ingredient we need for the spell Melusine is doing for Harry." 

"Why do I need to drink it?" Severus asked, confused, gazing at them from behind his hair. 

Harry could tell he was nervous and as Harry looked at the faces of everyone, he didn't blame him. Everyone looked excited and anxious, like something was about to happen. 

"Drink it, Severus," Melusine told him. 

Severus looked at her and then drank it. As he set the goblet down, everyone leaned in closer and Severus leaned back. 

"Have you all lost your minds?" he asked. "Step a few paces b..." he trailed off and his shoulders seemed to slump. 

"Where did you put your children?" Melusine asked quickly. 

"With Michael Davenport," Severus answered. 

"Michael!" Melusine said, falling into a chair, her whole body relaxed. "Oh, thank goodness!" 

"Whose Michael?" Dumbledore asked, staring at her. 

"He grew up in the Dark Forest," she explained. "He's a werewolf and a Muggle. I haven't seen him for years. Must be the reason why. Muggle werewolves sometimes form werewolf packs and travel around the world. They aren't wanted in either the Muggle or the wizarding world so they pretty much just travel from Dark Forest to Dark Forest, seeing the world since they have nothing else to do." 

Harry swallowed. "But his kids, wouldn't they get eaten?" 

Melusine raised an eyebrow. "Severus, how did you prevent Michael from attacking your kids?" 

"Dragon pearl," he slurred. 

Lupin, Sirius, and Hermione immediately backed up. 

"But that's, that's Seidr magic," Hermione gasped. 

Dumbledore looked at them all. "Melusine is a Seidr. There is nothing wrong with them." 

"But is Severus?" Lupin asked, confused. "He'd have to be, right?" 

Melusine glanced at Severus and nodded her head. "Studying to become one. He would have learned enough by then to know how to make a dragon pearl," she answered. 

"What is it?" Draco asked, confused. 

"A dragon pearl is a pearl, worn around the neck, that allows the wearer to transform into a dragon. Sort of like an Animagus but once the pearl is taken off, the person can't transform anymore. An Animagus form doesn't stop someone from transforming into a werewolf but a dragon pearl would. Michael would just have to transform before the full moon, take the children into the air while the rest of the pack turns into werewolves and then come down when it is safe. Quite ingenious. And, once one of the kids is old enough, he could just give it to one of them. Patrick could even use it, he would just have to think dragon and the pearl would work." 

"Where is Michael?" Melusine asked. 

"Don't know," Severus answered. "Just told him to leave England and not to come back." 

"We're back where we started from," Harry said bitterly, feeling a hotness behind his eyes. 

Melusine shook her head. "No, we aren't. I can go to the Dark Forests and look for him. I would just have to contact the resident Seidr and ask for a Muggle werewolf pack." 

"That could take months," Harry said, wiping his eyes. "Years even! And he may not be in the Dark Forests!" 

Melusine bit her lower lip. "I know." 

Narcissa looked away but Draco stared at Severus, hard. "Uncle Severus," he said, "do you have any idea where Michael might be? What places did he want to visit?" 

"India, China, Mongolia, Japan," Severus started to list and Melusine wrote them down on a conjured piece of paper, "Canada, Alaska, Peru, Russia, Siberia, and the Congo." 

"Those places are huge!" Sirius said. 

"It's a start," Melusine said. 

"Did you give them a way for you to find them?" Draco asked, desperately, "Some way for you to contact them?" 

Severus nodded his head and rolled his sleeves up to reveal slightly muscular arms. 

"Contact them," Dumbledore said quickly. 

Severus murmured something under his breath and touched his right arm. A tattoo of a snake suddenly appeared, glowing green. A second later a tattoo of a werewolf appeared on his left shoulder, glowing red. 

"They were to come to the Dark Forest when I did that," he slurred. 

Melusine popped out of sight. Severus shook his head and looked around. "What happened?" he asked, standing slowly. 

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak when Melusine popped back in. Her face made Harry's break into a grin. The kids were okay! 

"They're fine!" she said. "They're okay! And they are excited to see you!" she said, walking up to a very confused Severus. 

"What is going on?" he asked, starting to look slightly angry. 

"Your kids," Narcissa said, "we found your kids." 

Severus plopped back down onto his seat. "What?!" he asked, his eyes wide as he stared at Narcissa, uncomprehending. 

"Your kids," Sirius said gently. "We found them. They're in the Dark Forest." 

Severus still just sat there, not getting what they were saying. 

Harry wiped his sweaty hands on his robe. They should have realized this. Severus probably had given up all hope of ever seeing his kids again and then suddenly he's being told his kids have been found. He was in shock. 

Melusine gently put a hand on Severus's shoulder. "Come on, get up." 

He automatically got up and Melusine and Severus popped out of sight. 

Harry wondered if Melusine was going to come back for them so they could see the reunion. 


	12. Son and Daughter

Body Disclaimer: all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter. 

Author's Note: _I discovered a glaring error in a previous chapter, Hermione was not supposed to be in the meeting at the end of the last chapter. It meant to say Sirius. Sorry for any confusion_. 

_Thanks for the reviews! I love reading them and they help me know what ideas I need to clear up._

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Harry slumped back in his chair, his eyes threatening to close from exhaustion. How long had they been waiting? Two hours? Four? 

"How long has it been?" Harry demanded, wiggling a little in his seat, his backside had fallen asleep. 

"Three hours," Lupin sighed, rubbing his temple. "What's taking her so long?" 

Narcissa bit her lower lip. "Severus never expected to see his kids again. Melusine may not want to leave him until he's over the shock." 

Harry glanced at Dumbledore, he was the only one not in a seat, preferring to pace the floor. He finally stopped and set a blue sphere down on the table that he had withdrawn from his pocket. Scribbling down a short note, Dumbledore sent it on its way. 

Another popped up fairly quickly. 

"What does it say?" Sirius asked. 

Draco glared at him, looking resentful that the rest of them where even there, and then looked at Dumbledore, his face sullen. Harry shook his head. Draco had not changed much. 

Dumbledore scanned the note, an eyebrow raising, but he didn't looked worried. 

"What does it say?" Narcissa asked. 

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "It's from Urzula. She writes: Sorry for the delay in Melusine's coming back to get you but Severus was naturally completely shocked to see his kids again and Melusine didn't want to leave until he recovered. She should be there soon. Plus, we had a shock ourselves here. A good shock, so don't worry, but it was still a tremendous shock to us all." 

"What does she mean by that?" Lupin asked. 

Harry wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that or not. It didn't sound like anything was amiss. But would could the shock be? The kids were okay, Melusine had said that, so what was the shock? 

They waited some more, each one forming opinions about what the shock could be, and soon another note appeared. 

Lupin snagged it this time. "Melusine feels that it would be best if no one came for a couple of days." Harry groaned. "Severus's children have missed him terribly and considering they have fifteen years to catch up on, Melusine doesn't want them to have to meet anyone else quite yet. She'll be coming with Michael, though. He'll talk to you about the kids, and the shock we all had, and show you pictures. I'm sorry, but this needs to be taken slow." 

"I can see that," Narcissa said softly, looking at a very disappointed Draco. "I wouldn't like anyone crowding me out if I was in Severus's place." 

Draco nodded his head. "We get to go first. Me and you." 

Narcissa didn't shake her head but she didn't affirm it either. Harry was kind of hoping to go first. 

Melusine appeared with a very wild looking man next to her. His hair was gray-streaked and wind-swept and Harry could see his faded and torn jeans were splattered in mud, his boots were covered in it and his black leather jacket was torn in several places. 

"Michael?" Harry questioned. 

Michael winked at him. "In the flesh," he caught sight of Narcissa and really winked at her. Harry frowned at his voice. In the Pensieve, Michael had had a British accent but he didn't have one now. Of course, he had also been traveling around the world for the past fifteen years, listening to other accents. 

Narcissa eyed Michael strangely, while Draco flushed in anger at Michael's obvious interest in her. 

Melusine patted Michael on his back. "I'm sorry about not letting you see Severus's children right off but they need time alone with their father first." Harry didn't begrudge them that, he wished he had had time alone with Sirius after he had found out he was innocent. 

Melusine looked at Harry. "Michael, before you begin, I want to talk with Harry. Harry, come here," she commanded and Harry, without thinking, got up and walked over to the corner of the room she had retreated to. 

She waved her staff and Harry could no longer hear any noise. 

"It's a blanket effect," she explained. "They can't hear us," Melusine said, looking at Harry with an intensity that he didn't like. "Did Evan tell you about anyone besides Severus's children?" 

Harry shook his head. "No. No one. Why? Was there someone else?" 

Melusine nodded her head, her blue eyes twinkling in much the same way Dumbledore's did. "Evan had a son." 

Harry's mouth dropped. "What?!" he exploded. "He didn't tell me that! Where is he?" Harry didn't understand. Why hadn't Evan told him something like that? He would have gotten Evan's kid back too. 

"He was with Michael when Severus gave his children to him. Evan got married, Florence and Severus never knew, or did know," Melusine looked troubled. "Evan got very good at memory charms after he graduated from Hogwarts and it's possible he just erased their memory of it, and any records of it, too. From what we have been able to figure out, he married a half-troll from the Dark Forest, they moved to troll territory and it was attacked by the Ministry the year before you were born, and she died in that attack. He took his son to Michael, having no one else to go to, Evan's father was dead by then, he had no other relatives and he had killed his mother already," Harry winced. "Michael was Severus's friend, a Muggle, and a werewolf, living on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, and I think Evan just figured it was his best bet to keep his son safe. Werewolves, being magical creatures, aren't bothered by Voldemort, and being Muggles, they won't be bothered by any wizards. They may be outcasts but they are also left completely alone by everyone. I'm assuming Evan erased his memory of his son and that is why he didn't tell you." 

Harry, staring at Melusine, could feel his lips curl into a smile on their own accord. Melusine grinned back. Harry was going to have to get Evan's Pensieve back. There was just no way around that. Evan had to be told that Severus had his kids back and had to be told that he had a kid of his own. 

"It was great news," she allowed. "Evan's son acts quite a bit like him. Severus is quite thrilled about it. Not only does he have his kids back but he has the son of his best friend back. We better tell the others." 

She waved her staff again and Harry walked out of the corner, grinning still, and sat down. He was so dazed that he didn't sit next to Lupin, but left an empty chair between them. 

"I take it, it was good news," Dumbledore said as he looked at Melusine's and Harry's smiling faces. 

"Very good news," Harry admitted, not bothering to hide the fact. "Evan Rosier's son was with Michael too!" 

"What?!" Sirius said in a strangled voice. 

Lupin choked. Dumbledore's eyes got huge and Narcissa grinned. Draco looked surprised. 

"That's perfect!" Narcissa said. "Sev must be ecstatic!" 

"He is," Michael said, winking at Narcissa again. "He nearly fainted when he saw him. Recognized who he was immediately. The kid looks just like his dad." 

Harry couldn't wait to see him. 

"Does he.... act like him?" Lupin asked. 

Michael, still looking at Narcissa, nodded his head. "Mostly. He's not mean like his dad was, if that's what you're asking. Evan Rosier Senior had to act the way he did, he was raised to. Evan Rosier Junior, I named him that, Evan named him Melechar but I wanted the kid to have his father's name, acts much different. Evan Junior hasn't had the prejudice or intolerance to deal with that his dad did. He was allowed to be himself without being told he was an inhuman monster for having troll blood in him." 

Harry, now, really couldn't wait to see him. And to call him Evan. That would be cool. 

Melusine, seeing that they were all handling the news, disappeared and Michael pulled a backpack off his shoulder and plopped it on the table. 

"Wizards," Michael mumbled as he opened the backpack, "I'm surrounded by wizards." 

"And a witch," Narcissa supplied helpfully. 

Michael shook his head. "You're not a witch, Narcissa, you're a wonderful sweet woman who just happens to be desperately in love with me." 

Harry blinked, unsure that he had heard that right as Michael pulled out a thick envelope. 

"Pictures first. Sev and the kids have the scrapbook so you'll have to settle for these," he said, hoisting the backpack to the ground and sitting in the chair between Lupin and Harry. 

Harry leaned over while Narcissa and Draco got up to lean over Michael and Harry's shoulder. Draco didn't look pleased about that. Dumbledore and Sirius leaned over Lupin and Michael's other shoulder. 

Michael pulled out the pictures and Harry smiled at the first one. Patrick, playing with a toy wand and tapping it on a red box. 

"He has blonde hair," Sirius mused. 

"Yeah, Patrick is very handsome. Not nearly as handsome as me but he comes close," Michael said as he flipped to the next picture. Harry glanced at Michael's face. He was quite good-looking now that Harry noticed it. Not the pretty-boy kind of good-looking but the rugged kind of good-looking. 

"What's her name?" Narcissa asked. 

The picture was of a sleeping infant, wrapped in a rather coarse looking brown blanket. 

"Well," Michael said, tapping the picture. "Sev never told me what he named her, if he named her anything, so I named her. It's uh," he glanced at Narcissa and shrugged helplessly, "Katrina." 

Narcissa stepped slightly back, her face struggling to remain normal. "Oh," she managed to get out. "How does Severus feel about that?" 

Harry could see that everyone was looking at Narcissa oddly, even Dumbledore. 

Michael smiled. "He's fine with it. You'll see why in a little bit," and he went back to flipping through the pictures. 

The pictures told of a fairly normal childhood and Harry was pleased to see that Michael's wolf pack had included children around all their ages that they could play with and be friends with. Patrick was a good looking boy, Michael hadn't been lying about that. He was tall, slender, and his large brown eyes made him look rather vulnerable. And Harry could see why Michael had named Katrina, Katrina. She looked just like Katrina had; down to the black eyes, black hair, and sallow skin. She had her mother's nose, mouth, build, and her hair wasn't greasy. She wasn't very attractive but the mischievous grin she often wore made her seem quite likable. And Evan. He was as big as his father, but without the hardness to his face. And unlike his father, Evan Junior didn't hide his intelligence, it could be quite plainly seen in his face. 

"How do they act?" Narcissa asked. 

Michael bent over and rummaged in his back pack. "I'll show you some things that will help you get an idea." 

He pulled out three binders. One was half silver and half green and had the name Katrina scrawled across it in big red letters along with a silver snake and a green frog. The other one was a white binder with the name Patrick neatly put at the top right edge in black italic letters. Nothing else adorned Patrick's binder. Evan's binder was purple with equations and formulas written in silver ink all over it. His name was scrawled between two equations in light purple ink, it could barely be seen. 

"That's their school binders. They can't go to regular school so we make do. It has their favorite subjects in it." 

Harry watched as Michael opened the one up for Katrina. The Dark Arts was the first subject, a picture of a werewolf adorned the page divider, along with a snake in the corner. The other subjects, according to the page divider tabs, were: Potions, Curses, and Transfigurations. 

Michael flipped through the binder and Harry was startled to see that Katrina was above his level, she was writing about potions that only the seventh years did and her knowledge of the Dark Arts seem to exceed what Hogwarts taught in any of the years. And the curses! Harry shuddered at some of the ones she seemed to know. And Transfigurations was much more difficult than what they would ever be taught. At Hogwarts, they transfigured things that had some resemblance to what the other object would be, but Katrina had to learn how to transfigure things like leaves, rocks, twigs, and the like into all sorts of things; much more difficult than what Hogwarts taught but a better idea in a Dark Forest. Rocks, twigs, and leaves would also be available there. 

Dumbledore noticed this advanced knowledge. "Whose been teaching them?" 

"The resident Seidr in the Dark Forest we travel to," Michael explained with a shrug. 

Dumbledore glanced down at Katrina's binder. "She's going to be bored at Hogwarts." 

Michael snorted. "No, she's not. These are just the subjects Katrina loves, so she does them. She can't fly a broom, and while she can curse you in her sleep, her knowledge of Herbology is atrocious, except for the plants you need for potions, of course. She'll be way ahead in some classes and way behind in others. And don't expect her to come out of Hogwarts knowing anything she doesn't want to know. She's very stubborn about that." 

Patrick's binder was much different. His favorites were: Potions, Photography, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures and Writing. 

"Now, Patrick will be bored, if he gets to go to Hogwarts, but since he's a seventh year, that won't matter. He'll just have to suffer for a year." 

"He knows more than Katrina?" Lupin asked. 

Michael nodded his head, looking sour. "Patrick's a very hard worker and took all the things they were supposed to learn seriously so he's actually more knowledgeable about it all than his sister is, and she's the one that can do the magic. Which is probably part of the problem. With Patrick around she doesn't need to remember things, just ask him and then forget it." 

Harry smiled. Katrina sounded like a handful. 

Evan's came next. Languages, Charms, Spells, Potions, Runes, Wand Making, Dark Arts, Herbology, and Astronomy. Evan knew Latin, Greek, Gaelic, and several of the local languages they had visited. He was constantly making wands for Katrina. Apparently whenever she played a joke on Patrick, Patrick would break her wand in half. 

"Evan will be bored too, I'm sure," Michael said, closing the binder. "But he's excited about the library you all have here so he'll suffer quietly for two years, as long as he has that." 

Harry smiled. 

The binders were put up and Michael took out three large manila envelopes. One had Katrina's name written on it, in large green letters this time with a green frog in a corner; Patrick's name was small and in black on his envelope; and Evan's had the simple words: "Research for Cure of Werewolfism: for those who didn't get help in time." 

"He's working on a cure?" Lupin asked. 

Michael tapped the envelope. "I got some of this from Evan Senior when he gave me Evan Junior. He'd been working on it in his spare time. I'm afraid Evan Junior isn't as smart as his dad was and will probably never get to find the cure. Evan Senior might have done it, though. A shame about him getting killed so soon." 

Lupin stared at the envelope. "I wonder if Hermione could look through it." 

"Whose Hermione?" Michael asked, looking at Lupin. 

"A really smart witch," he explained. "How old is Evan Junior?" 

"Sixteen," Michael said. 

"She's fifteen," Lupin said. "Maybe they could work on it together?" 

Michael nodded his head. "Maybe. Though I like being a werewolf so I probably won't take it." 

"You like it?!" Lupin asked, unable to believe his ears. 

Harry was rather surprised. He would have assumed Michael would hate it. 

Michael grinned. "Oh, heck yeah! No worries, no job. Just get to kick around the world, going from Dark Forest to Dark Forest. Getting immersed in all sorts of cultures and languages. Gardening or doing odd jobs in the Forests to help the people out and earn our keep but even that doesn't take too much time out of the day. It's been fun!" 

Draco stared at Michael's clothes. "But you're so poor." 

Michael looked at him, winking. "You know, I don't own a thing. Even my clothes come from the pool of clothes that all of my pack wears. This outfit was worn by another member of it just the other day." 

Draco looked disgusted at the thought of sharing clothes with another person. Harry was used to the idea, though. That was basically what he had been doing with Dudley the entire first eleven years of his life. 

"You think that's bad?" Michael grinned, turning to Draco. "We share utensils, dinnerware, and even," Michael smirked, "underwear." 

Draco stepped back, looking to his mother for help. 

"You'll get used to it, Draco," Narcissa assured him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Just be careful not to grab a girl's pair." 

Draco blushed red, Sirius snickered, and Harry hoped that wasn't the case in the Dark Forest. He didn't want to share his underwear with anyone. Outer clothes, yes, but not his underwear. 

"These envelopes hold their main interests," Michael said, turning back around with a laugh and pulling out some sheets from Katrina's envelope. They were music sheets and what looked like lyrics. 

"She plays an instrument?" Narcissa asked. 

Michael nodded. "My guitar, and some native instruments we found on our travels. There's this long wooden tube she blows on the end of and it produces the weirdest sound. And there's the panpipes and a flute like instrument too. She's good. And she can sing. Almost as good as Sev." 

"Uncle Severus can sing?" Draco asked, bewildered. 

Michael looked behind him and took in the surprised looks and Narcissa's shrug. "Oh, yeah! We had a band. Wolf and Snake. Sev was the lead singer." 

"Snape was in a band?" Sirius asked, stunned, his eyes wide. 

Michael nodded his head. "It was fun. Until...," he cut himself off and glared angrily at the table. "Anyway, here's some lyrics." 

He passed some of the sheets around. Harry's eyes widened as he read some of the lyrics. They were good! Some were silly, about frogs and jellybeans; some were serious, about losing your family, and about having no one to turn to; and some were too cryptic for Harry to tell if they were funny or serious. 

"They're good," Sirius said. "Does she ever sing them?" 

"Yes," Michael grinned. "She loves to perform. She's been doing it since she was a toddler and didn't know any better and she just never quit. Hopefully she'll do it here, her performances can be hilarious, especially when Evan starts doing some magic while she's singing and dancing." 

Michael gathered the pages up and slipped them in the envelope. Next came Patrick's pages. They were photographs, and they were good too, some of them were still, not moving, and Harry's breath caught as he saw the one that Patrick had to have special equipment for. 

It was of Severus, Florence, Patrick, and Katrina. On one half of the full page photograph was Severus and Florence. Florence was wearing a white robe and Severus was wearing black. Their wedding? Florence was leaning against Severus and smiling into the camera, a real smile. They looked much too young to be getting married, if that was what they were doing. On the other half of the page were Katrina and Patrick. Katrina in a black robe and Patrick in white. The effect of the picture was that it had been a family shot, that they had all been there together. Harry smiled. 

"I never saw Florence smile for real," Lupin murmured. 

"I don't think anyone but Evan and Severus ever did," Dumbledore said softly. 

Michael shuffled through the photographs more. Harry's eyes widened as he saw another doctored photograph. On the top half of the photograph were Severus, Florence, and Evan, standing there, a snarl on their faces and one fist in the air, directed at the camera, as they slightly bent over at the waist, like they wanted to charge the camera. On the bottom half were Katrina, Patrick, and Evan in the same exact pose. 

Harry stared at it, unable to take his eyes of it. 

"They look... dangerous," Draco quietly said. 

Michael didn't smile. "They all can be. Everyone can be dangerous though," Michael grinned at Narcissa. "Even sweet things like you," he said, winking at her again and pursing his lips at her. 

Narcissa hit him on the back of the head, lightly. "Still the flirt. You don't seem to have changed much." 

Michael shrugged. "When someone is as great a person as I am they shouldn't change," he winked at Harry. 

Harry shook his head a bit and caught sight of Lupin and Sirius. Lupin was staring at Michael, in shock, while Sirius was snickering in his hand. Draco was flushing red again but he didn't say anything. 

Michael moved some more pictures around and Harry narrowed his eyes, trying to look at the picture better. Was that what he thought it was? 

"Junior!" Michael announced proudly as he held up a picture of a Red Cap. "Katrina's pet." 

Harry laughed. "Oh no!" 

"Oh, yes," Michael said. "She's got her father's strange desire to have Dark Arts creatures." 

"How many?" Harry asked. 

"Only two, thankfully," Michael said, "and they are both her pets. Junior and World-Crusher, her Frog of Darkness." 

"Frog of Darkness?" Lupin asked, scratching his head. 

"Yes," Michael said darkly, his brows furrowed, "Frogs of Darkness are only found in one place, a Dark Forest deep in the jungles of Cambodia. Katrina, naturally, had to have one. They are huge, dark purple, and exude a mist out of their mouths. Katrina's favorite joke. She has it exude the mist and then laughs while the rest of us stumble around in the darkness trying to find her. It's so thick that not even flashlights or fires can be seen through it. I've punished her too many times to count for doing that but she won't quit." 

Michael grinned up at Dumbledore. "Have fun this year," he said, smirking. 

"I thought Red Caps were untamable?" Sirius questioned. 

Michael shrugged. "She found Junior when he was a baby. He's been raised around humans and not Red Caps so he acts just like a human. He can even talk." 

"What about dying his cap in blood?" Harry asked, remembering his lesson on Red Caps. 

"Red paint," Michael grinned, "or squashed red berries or something like that. Junior seems perfectly happy and healthy so I guess Red Caps don't have to dye their caps in blood for a real reason." 

Harry couldn't wait to see Patrick, Katrina and Evan. And he had an idea for his deaf school. Teach Magic and Muggle subjects. Photography was a Muggle subject and it was something that Patrick was really good at. Harry was going to have to think about what other subjects he would be able to teach. 

Melusine appeared and gently smiled. "I know this isn't what you wanted but I hope it will suffice for now." 

"It will," Narcissa smiled back. "Do you have any idea of when we can see them?" 

Melusine's eyes flickered over Harry, too quick for anyone but Harry to notice, and settled on Dumbledore. "In two or three days, I'm hoping. May I talk to you, Harry, and Narcissa about Voldemort for a second?" 

Dumbledore nodded his head while everyone else excused themselves. Melusine sent Michael home. 

"Is this really about Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked. 

Melusine shook her head. "Narcissa, where is Evan Rosier's Pensieve?" she asked. 

Narcissa seemed taken aback by the question. "Lucius gave all his Dark Art stuff to Voldemort after that raid. The Pensieve went with it. Why? And how did you know about it?" 

Voldemort had it?! Evan would never find out about Severus's children then, or his own son. Harry had to find a way to get it back from that evil creature. Evan, even if he was just a memory in a Pensieve, deserved more than to be left with Voldemort. 

Melusine shook her head. "Arthur Weasley just mentioned he had a hold of it briefly and I thought it might be a nice thing for Severus to have." 

Narcissa looked like the explanation satisfied her. "I'm sorry." 

Melusine smiled and waved to the door. "I'm sorry, Narcissa. But I would like to discuss some things with Harry that I know he isn't comfortable talking about around others." 

Narcissa gave Harry a kind glance and left. 

"You're very good at lying," Dumbledore observed. 

Melusine grinned. "You're just jealous you can't do it as well as me." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled merrily as Melusine continued. "But, seriously, sometimes the truth is what is needed and even I know that," her eyes fell on Harry. "Harry, Severus was quite interested to know how you all knew he had children, considering how careful he was about hiding the fact. I think that telling him the truth would be the best bet. And tell him where Evan's Pensieve is too," she murmured. 

"When?" Harry wanted to know. 

Melusine frowned. "Tomorrow night. Don't tell anyone, though, no one else knows about what you saw in that Pensieve and I'd rather keep it that way." 

"Okay," Harry promised. "When tomorrow night?" 

"Late," Melusine said. "Very late. I'll come and get you." 

Harry nodded his head and left the room, wondering how Severus was going to take Harry knowing so much about his past. He was such a private person, would he see it as a violation and feel like Harry had betrayed him? Harry hoped not. 

Sleep, for the most part, eluded him, and Harry went to classes and ate mechanically the next day, barely making conversation with anyone. Ron had a big chess match that day and wasn't very talkative himself and Hermione was pressed with Prefect duties. 

As Neville and Harry practiced sign language in the Gryffindor Common Room that night, Hermione wandered in and looked at them. 

"I wish I had had the time to learn that as well as you two," she sighed, sitting down next to Harry and brushing some lint of her Prefect badge. "Why are you two going so fast?" she asked. "I could handle making a class or two a week but everyday?" 

Harry just shrugged. "I'm doing it so much because I'm good at it and enjoy it." 

Ron closed his book on chess strategies and sat straighter up in his chair. "Fred tells me that you aren't doing so well in practice. Preferring to sign than to seek." 

Harry scratched his head, not knowing what to say. "Don't worry, I'll get over it in a couple of weeks." 

Ron and Hermione sighed, Ron went back to reading and Hermione went back to looking over some notes she had brought with her. 

After several more hours, Harry yawned and went to bed, hoping to get a little sleep in tonight. It still eluded him and when Melusine came for him, around midnight, Harry was wide awake and very nervous. 

Harry stumbled slightly as he realized he was standing in a small rustic room instead of the Gryffindor Common Room. 

"He's waiting on the bottom step," Melusine grinned, pointing at what had to be the back door. "I thought to surprise him about who it was that had found out about his kids so he isn't expecting you, just someone." 

Harry gave her a sickly grin in return. Great. With a sigh, Harry went to the back door and opened it. The sound of people talking was not too far off. Severus was sitting at the bottom step, his back to Harry, staring at the impenetrable darkness before him. 

Harry left the door open so he could see. 

"Let me guess," Severus softly said, "Potter." 

Harry weakly chuckled. "Who else could it be?" 

"But how?" Severus asked, turning around and staring at Harry, looking completely dumbfounded. Harry was pleased to see that his eyes weren't nearly so empty anymore. 

"Evan Rosier's Pensieve," Harry explained, walking down the stairs and sitting next to him. 

"Evan?" Severus asked, still staring at Harry. "He made a Pensieve?" 

Harry nodded his head, determined to go slowly so it would all sink in. "Yes. He made it for the sole reason to get your kids back for you. Lucius Malfoy got a hold of it somehow and this summer, Mr. Weasley raided his mansion and took it to his house so Dumbledore could have it. Dumbledore was at a meeting right then and Mr. Weasley wanted to hand it over directly to him. Well, I found out about it, and jumped into it, wanting to know about you and why you joined Voldemort," he explained, looking away. "I saw you, Florence, and Evan in fifth year and couldn't believe how normal you three acted. Just like normal kids. And then I saw your family, and the Dark Forest Raid and why you hated my dad and Sirius so much. I didn't see anything else. Evan's in control of his Pensieve, his mind is in it, and he only let me see what he wanted me to see. He talked to me and told me that he had placed a Remembrance Spell on you right before you obliterated your memory so the information of where you put your kids could be retrieved. I told Melusine everything and she's been working on the spell to retrieve it since the beginning of school. I told Lupin about your kids, but nothing more. And Sirius found out. They've been working on it, too. But he never told me about having a child, not once. I don't know if he remembers it." 

Harry dared to looked back at Severus. He was staring straight ahead of him. 

After several minutes, Harry started to get more nervous. 

"Severus?" he asked. 

Severus looked at him. "Where is Evan's Pensieve?" 

"Voldemort has it," Harry said softly, not liking to have to tell him that. "Lucius handed it over to him." 

Severus rubbed his forehead tiredly. "I wish I could see him again. How did he look?" 

"Dangerous," Harry said. "Mean, but also very worried about you. I was glad that I got the chance to meet him. He would have been a great friend to have." 

"He was," Severus smiled and then turned to Harry, his face serious, his eyes bright. "Thank you." 

"Thank Evan, if you ever get the chance," Harry said. "He did all the work. I just found out about it because I'm nosy. I hope he does find out, too. He needs to know he had a son himself." 

Severus nodded his head and then looked away, occasionally wiping at his eyes. 

Harry sat, not talking, not wanting to disturb Severus, for a few minutes more. A lumbering green thing came into Harry's field of vision. It was Ariel! 

"How did she get here?!" Harry demanded. 

Ariel glanced at Harry, with what Harry could swear was a smug expression, and licked Severus's hands. 

"Melusine got her, right after she got me, and apparated both of us into the Dark Forest," Severus shook his head. "I still can't believe I have my kids back. I never thought I'd see them again," he murmured as Ariel continued to lick his hands. 

Harry narrowed his eyes at Ariel, wondering why Melusine had thought to bring her and not any of them. "You and Ariel are close?" Harry ventured. 

Severus nodded idly. "Very." 

"I thought you laid down in Cu Sith territory?" Harry said, wanting to know why he would be close enough to a Cu Sith for Melusine to include her, immediately, in the reunion between Severus and his children. 

"Laid down, collapsed, same thing, really," Severus said, stroking Ariel's ears. 

Harry glanced at him, his brows knit together. Collapsed? That wasn't the same thing as laying down. Harry opened his mouth to ask another question when Severus turned to him. 

"Would you like to see everyone?" 

"Yes," Harry said. 

"Katrina!" Severus called. "Patrick! Evan!" 

"Coming!" yelled a girl's voice, no discernible accent that Harry could detect. 

Katrina, Patrick, and Evan came into sight. Katrina was wearing some very odd clothes. A black robe, cut off at the knees, with blue jeans, boots, an oversized blue jean jacket and a yellow baseball hat, turned at the side. Patrick was dressed normally, for a Muggle. Black jeans and a blue T-shirt, along with white sneakers. Evan was wearing normal clothes too, dark blue jeans, black boots, and large red shirt. They all looked at Harry with perplextion. 

"Who's he?" Patrick signed. 

Harry spelled his name in sign. 

Severus jerked his head towards Harry. "You lied to me about why you wanted to know sign language!" 

Harry grinned sheepishly. "Sorry." 

Severus glanced back at his kids and Evan. "Harry here is the reason why I found you two and you too, Evan. Harry," he said, looking at Evan, "found your dad's Pensieve and got into it," and Severus explained to them exactly how Harry had come to know about them and where the Pensieve was now, and that Evan Senior might not know that he had a child and how he might have erased everyone's knowledge about it, including his own. 

Katrina started to look at Harry halfway through the explanation, and Harry could feel his cheeks start to redden as the look on Katrina's face started to dissolve into one of adoration. People had been impressed to see him, and overjoyed about it, but Katrina looked beyond that. She was looking at Harry in much the same way Colin Creevy did. It was embarrassing. 

"Thank you!" Katrina said, not bothering to shake the hand Harry had outstretched but throwing her arms around him. "Thank you!" 

Harry blushed even worse as Patrick joined his sister. 

The hug wasn't short. Patrick let go of him quicker than Katrina did and when Katrina finally backed away, Harry could see that she had been crying. She wiped away her tears and smiled happily at Harry. 

"Thanks, for giving our dad back to us," she said. 

Harry stared at her, unsure of what to say. Saying 'your welcome' didn't seem appropriate. Harry's mouth worked on trying to form words. Evan saved him. 

"My dad's in a Pensieve?" he asked, running a hand through his brown hair. "And that evil git Voldemort has him?" 

Severus frowned. "I'm sorry." 

Evan smiled slightly, though he still looked quite concerned. "Don't worry. My dad can take care of himself. I just wish I could see him. To tell him that it worked and that he has a child. But that is too cool!" he suddenly shouted. "My dad did it!" 

Katrina looked at Evan. "Yeah, him and Harry," and her eyes turned back to Harry. Harry smiled this time. 

"I'm just glad that I could help." 

"Would you six like to join the pack?" Melusine asked, causing Harry to jump. 

"I guess I better be going back," Harry started to say when Katrina shook her head violently. 

"You can stay tonight, right?!" she demanded, looking at Melusine. 

Melusine looked at Harry. "I'll take you back in the morning." 

Harry nodded his head and followed them. The sound of talking got louder and Harry could make out a string of Firebird feathers hanging from overhead branches, forming a circle above a small clearing. A bunch of people, of all ages and genders, were gathered there and talking. They all looked like Michael and Lupin, gray-haired and poor. 

Severus, Patrick, Evan, and Ariel went to sit with Michael while Katrina held Harry back and motioned him over to a quieter place. 

"So, tell me about my dad. No lies either," she said sternly as the two of them sat on the ground. 

Harry wasn't exactly sure what she meant as he pulled his robes around his body to keep them as free of dirt as possible. 

"I don't understand," Harry admitted. 

Katrina pulled out a book from her jean jacket. It was small. "This is my mom's diary. It goes from the day she learned how to write until the day she died. There's some blank parts in it, I'm guessing that when Evan erased my parent's memories, he did a spell to erase any recorded knowledge of the fact too. Smart man. But, listen, I know my dad wasn't exactly a nice person after the Dark Forest Raid. He's a teacher, right? How does he treat his students?" 

Harry looked at the diary, wanting to read it, and nodded his head. "Not very nice. He's doing better this year, though. He also favors Slytherin House quite badly over the others." 

"Ah, yes," Katrina said, nodding her head. "The best house at Hogwarts." 

Harry winced. "You want to get in there?" 

Katrina winked. "Naturally. What other house could possible handle such a wonderful person as myself?" she asked, looking haughty. "It needs a magnificent house to handle a magnificent person." 

Harry's eyes widened and Katrina laughed softly. 

"I'm sorry!" she said, still laughing a bit. "Uncle Michael cracks me up so much I have a tendency to act like him sometimes." 

"Is he really that conceited?" Harry asked, looking over at Michael who was leaning against Severus, an arm on his shoulder while Ariel growled at him. 

Katrina smiled, shaking her head. "No. Uncle Michael just thinks its funny. He has a strange sense of humor," she said, looking at Severus. "Just a sec." 

She crawled over to him and whispered something in his ear and then crawled back. Ariel watched her but didn't do anything. 

"You really like him," Harry said when she got back, and then winced. How stupid had that sounded? 

Katrina nodded her head, not noticing. "Mom really loved him. Me, Patrick, and Evan got to know dad through our mom so we have a very biased opinion of him, I'm afraid. Uncle Michael knew him, but not like mom did. They were very close." 

Harry wanted to read that diary but felt it wouldn't be right. "So, Severus gave you that diary to get to know your mom?" 

Katrina nodded her head. "Yes. He wanted us to be able to get to know them." Katrina gazed at her dad and, once again, said, "thank you." 

Harry blushed, beginning to like being complimented for something that had nothing to do with Voldemort. He was so sick of Voldemort. 

"I hate Voldemort," Harry suddenly blurted out. 

Katrina, to his surprise, snarled. "You're not the only one. But I hate the Ministry more. Did you know that my mom had asked people in the Ministry, when she was a kid, for help and no one would? Her parents were too high up for anyone to want to risk alienating," Katrina's face turned hard, and Harry was strongly reminded of Florence. "Voldemort didn't ruin her, he just made it so she could follow through with her desires instead of getting the help she needed. I frankly was hoping Voldemort and the Ministry had managed to kill each other off. But my dad informs me that he's been a formless ghost for the past thirteen-fourteen years and just got his body back?" 

"Yes," Harry said. 

Katrina gazed at him. "Still blame yourself about Cedric's death?" 

Harry looked at her, startled. "He told you about that?" 

"We wanted to know what had happened with Voldemort and dad related the entire story to us. Can you believe Voldemort did that? Killed a kid, just like that?" Katrina muttered. 

"If I hadn't asked him to take the cup with...." 

"Harry," Katrina cut him off. "It was Voldemort's choice. He could have stopped himself, but didn't. Wormtail could have decided not to follow through with the orders, but didn't. You're a kid and they were two grown men. Whose fault do you really think it was?" 

Harry shrugged. "Well, yeah, but..." 

"Spineless cowards," Katrina muttered, cutting him off. "Picking on those that are weaker than they are. It's disgusting. Just like what my mother's parents did to her. Well," Katrina breathed, looking quite dangerous suddenly, "not everyone can be kicked around. Some of us can kick back." 

Harry gulped, dearly hoping he never got to see how well she could kick back. He doubted it would be enjoyable. Especially not if she had some of her mother in her. Florence had kicked back, murderously. 

"Come over here, you two," Evan called, motioning them over. 

Katrina got up and then dragged Harry, literally, to his feet. Harry glanced at her in surprise. She was awfully strong. Following her, they sat down next to the others. Michael had given up touching Severus, Ariel had apparently knocked him silly a couple of times with one of her massive paws. Katrina leaned against her father, though, and Ariel didn't do anything about it. Katrina smirked at Michael. Michael bared his teeth at her. Patrick was on Severus's other side, and while less affectionate than Katrina, was touching him too. Ariel didn't bother him either. 

It was a pleasant evening, or night, rather. The werewolves were quite friendly and seemed to be one giant extended family. All the kids got watched by every adult and disciplined by them. It was very hard for Harry to tell whose kids were whose. In fact, Harry couldn't tell and gave up. 

"Are all the kids werewolves too?" Harry asked Evan. 

"Yeah," Evan said, pointing at a newborn that a young boy was holding. "Even the babies. When two werewolves get together, their kids become werewolves too." 

"Why don't wizard werewolves do that?" he wondered. Didn't Lupin want a family? 

Evan frowned a bit. "It's harder for wizards. They are wizards but they aren't welcomed in the magical community although they feel they must stay in it. And they don't want to pass on to their children what they view as a defect. Michael and the rest enjoy being werewolves so they have no problems with passing it on. And for the most part, the kids don't mind either." 

Harry grinned as he watched two female teenage werewolves wrestling. Neither of them were winning and finally gave up. 

"You excited about going to Hogwarts?" Harry asked. 

Evan looked excited as he turned to Harry. "Oh, yeah. They have a huge library according to Aunt Florence's diary. But," he said, sighing, "I'm not going if they don't let Patrick in." 

Hopefully, Dumbledore had gotten permission to let Patrick in by now. Harry listened to the conversations around him, and watched with amusement as everyone started to fall asleep, right where they were. Severus leaned over and curled against Ariel, while Katrina and Patrick curled against him. 

Harry stayed sitting while everyone around him began to breath deeply or snore in their slumbering position. Evan looked at him with a smile, his hands behind his head, and his body stretched out. 

"Not used to this?" he asked, his face showing quiet amusement. 

"No," Harry confessed, "we sleep in beds, one to a bed, where I come from." 

"Well," Evan said, yawning, "we can't afford beds and even sleeping bags and blankets take up space that could be used for better purposes. When you travel as much as we do, you learn to live without the unnecessary things. You might be surprised at how little is needed to survive. We could transfigure something into blankets and such but to do that every night for every person and then have to change them back every morning isn't worth the bother. Especially since the pack would have to adapt back to not having them once we were gone. This is better. Can't miss what you never get used to." 

Harry felt quite exhausted and, though he had never actually slept on the ground before, even during that camping spiel during the Quidditch World Cup, he curled up on the ground. He wanted a pillow. 

Something soft was suddenly underneath him and a warm blanket over him. 

"Wha...?" he began, looking up. 

Melusine was staring down at him, with a grin on her face. "I'll be nice to you on your first night in the Dark Forest." 

Harry nestled back down, glad for the pillow and the soft bed. "Thank you." 

He fell asleep. 

Narcissa had been right about needing to sleep through a lot of noise in a Dark Forest. Everyone was up early, and Harry could hear children screaming as they ran after each other. Sunlight filtered through the trees. They weren't in the main part of the Dark Forest then, just the outskirts. 

Harry yawned and sat up. His comfortable bed was instantly gone and so was his blanket. Looking around, he caught Melusine smiling at him. 

"When do you want to go?" she asked. 

"Stay for breakfast," Katrina pleaded as she sat up, being careful not to disturb her father, and looked at Harry, her black eyes beseeching. 

"Okay," Harry said, unable to refuse her. 

Katrina smiled and prodded her brother. Patrick didn't open his eyes, just snuggled closer to his father. 

"Ugh!" Katrina said. "He does that on purpose. Since he can't hear the only way to annoy him enough to wake him up is to shake him, and that takes forever!" 

But apparently, Katrina wasn't going to let her brother sleep in. She pinched him, poked him, and tugged at his hair. Patrick didn't open his eyes and Katrina finally gave up. 

She turned with a huff and went to help Michael with cutting some potatoes. Patrick opened his eyes and winked at Harry before closing them again. Evan laughed uproariously. 

Amazed that Severus could sleep through it, Harry got off the ground and went to go help someone. The pack didn't have many cooking utensils, they had a few pots, a couple of ladles and spoons, and that was about it. A fire was built, no matches or magic, and Harry watched, interested, as they set up two forked branches and hung a pot from another branch that rested in them. Everything went into the pot. After awhile, turtle shell bowls, bowls made of metal, pottery, wood, and plastic, were filled and arrived in people's hands. Katrina transfigured a flat rock into a bowl for Harry, there wasn't an extra, and he dished up his meal. The stew was tasteless, but filling. 

"I better get back, for classes," Harry apologized after he was finished eating. 

Katrina wiped her hair out of her eyes. "Okay," she said softly. "But I'll see you again, soon, right?" 

Harry looked at Severus, who had finally woken up and was eating from a bowl made of metal. "When can I come back, with the others? They want to see you too." 

Severus glanced up. "How about tonight, after school?" 

Harry nodded his head. "Perfect. See you tonight!" 

Harry got another hug from Katrina and Evan; Patrick and Severus shook his hand, and Harry went to find Melusine. 

He barely arrived in time. Melusine had sent him to the bathroom instead of his room, and as he stepped out of it, Ron stepped in, sighing with relief. 

"I was about to go get McGonagall. I couldn't find you anywhere! Where were you? I searched this room twice." 

Harry scratched his head, looking embarrassed. "I ate something that upset my stomach and...." Harry trailed off, rubbing his stomach. 

Ron tactfully nodded his head and didn't ask any other questions. Bodily functions were always a good excuse for not answering questions. 

The day went by quite fast. The excuse that Severus was sick was still being used to explain his absence. 

Harry couldn't wait to see what everyone else thought of Patrick, Katrina, and Evan. He just hoped they all liked them as much as Harry did. As he went to his dorm room to change and get his backpack, Harry realized he hadn't seen World-Crusher or Junior. He hoped he got the chance. 


	13. Greetings

Body Disclaimer: all rights to J.K. Rowlings and whoever else owns Harry Potter. 

_Thanks for the reviews!_

Phoenix Rising 

by: Taran 

Chapter 13: Greetings 

Throughout the day, Harry could hear Ron and Hermione whispering to each other about his behavior and Harry felt a stabbing feeling of guilt. He had been acting awfully weird since school began and neither of them had any clue as to why. Maybe he could get Melusine's permission to tell them about Severus's children. 

But as it turned out, he didn't need it. Lupin caught up with him while he was changing classes and took him aside, telling Ron and Hermione he needed to discuss Harry's grades in his class. Ron and Hermione nodded and went to the next class. 

"Melusine has been taking everyone to see the kids today," Lupin explained with a grin. "She felt it would be best if we met them two at a time in Severus's room. I went with Sirius during my free period. Melusine said you already saw them, in the Dark Forest?" 

Harry nodded quickly. 

"I wouldn't mind seeing the Dark Forest," Lupin sighed. "But I guess since Melusine didn't want me in there I shouldn't know anything about it. But one day I plan on going in there. Did you like the kids?" he asked. 

"Yes. I can't wait to find out what houses they're going to be in," Harry said. "Katrina will probably be in Slytherin but I don't think Patrick will be." 

Lupin shook his head, grinning again. "It's going to be interesting to find out. Severus looks much better, too. He was actually smiling and he's thinking about getting more furniture for his rooms." 

Harry scratched his cheek. "Um. I want to tell Ron and Hermione about all this. I think they deserve to know and...." 

"Dumbledore will be telling the entire school at dinner. He feels it will be best to tell the school this early so everyone will get used to the idea of them coming. He's a bit worried." 

Harry frowned. "Why is he worried?" 

"Harry," Lupin said gently, "Florence Wilkes and Evan Rosier are known Death Eaters. Many of the students here know about them and Patrick, Katrina, and Evan will be the only children of known Death Eaters in this school." 

"But Goyle, Crabbe, Draco..." Harry protested when Lupin cut him off. 

"Only a few others know about that, Harry. It's not common knowledge that their parents are Death Eaters. I'm afraid Patrick, Katrina, and Evan might run into some problems due to their parentage. Hopefully, with Severus being their father no one will dare bother them. Severus can still turn nasty, I'm sure." 

Harry slowly let the information sink in, hoping Lupin was overreacting. He didn't want everyone to be prejudiced against Patrick, Katrina, and Evan for something they couldn't help. They hadn't asked for their parents to be Death Eaters. But Harry realized that his hoping was probably in vain. The Gryffindors loved booing all first years that got sorted into Slytherin while they knew nothing about the kids. This was probably going to be the same type of thing. But Harry wasn't going to sit by and do nothing about it if it happened. If they got teased, or worse, Harry was going to back them up. He had taken on Voldemort, so taking on students wouldn't be a problem. 

"We won't be able to see the kids or Severus until they come back in two weeks," Lupin went on. "I'm hoping that will give Hogwarts enough time to come to grips with it." 

Lupin squeezed Harry's shoulder and left to go to his class. Harry went to his next class, feeling like his feet were made of lead. Severus's kids and Evan had to be welcomed at Hogwarts. They didn't deserve to be hated for something their parents did. 

Harry didn't pay much attention for the rest of the day, not even caring that he failed a Charms test. When dinner finally came around, Harry was slightly sick. How was everyone going to take the news? 

Ron and Hermione probably wouldn't have a problem with it. They knew that Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle were children of Death Eaters and while they weren't friendly to them, Ron and Hermione didn't go out of their way to bother them. 

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked as Harry sat next to her and Ron. Hermione sat across from them. 

"That stomach thing is back again," Harry said. 

Ron shook his head sympathetically. "Sorry about that." 

The food didn't arrive like it normally did and when Dumbledore rose up murmuring erupted all over the Great Hall. Dumbledore usually never made speeches, except at the end of year and beginning of year feast. 

"Professor Snape will be taking a two week vacation," Dumbledore announced. There was scattered applause and the Slytherins glared at Dumbledore, as if he was the reason why their Head of House was missing. "While Professor Snape was a student here he had two very good friends, Florence Wilkes and Evan Rosier," Dumbledore paused while some more murmuring went around and died down. Harry caught a few sentences like 'Death Eaters', and 'killed by Aurors'. 

"Between their sixth and seventh year Severus and Florence got married," ('that's illegal' someone said, Fred?, 'you have to be eighteen to marry',) "and they had two children. No one knew about their marriage or their children but Evan Rosier, and about a year before Voldemort fell Florence was brought down by an Auror. To protect his children Severus hid them and did a spell on himself to prevent anyone from ever finding out where they were. Evan Rosier was brought down some days later but he managed to hide away some information that allowed me and several others to find out where Severus's children were. He is with them now." 

Harry could see the confusion on most students' and teachers' faces. The Slytherins looked shocked. 

"Severus never bothered to tell anyone about his wife or children since he felt it would be useless. They were gone and he never expected to see his children again. But," Dumbledore said, "he never counted on Evan Rosier doing what he did or on someone else's curiosity," Harry blushed, "and they were found. Along with Evan Rosier's own son, who he, strangely enough, hid with the same person that Severus chose to hide his children with. All three of them will be attending Hogwarts when the two weeks are up." 

"Snape was married?!" Ron said, having found his voice. 

"He has kids?" Ginny said. 

Harry glanced at Hermione and nearly bolted. She was giving him the same kind of shrewd look that Severus had often given him. She knew. She knew it was Harry that had found Severus's children for him. 

Dumbledore wasn't through speaking. "The children of Florence Wilkes and Evan Rosier are in no ways to blame for what their parents did. None of you would like it if you were blamed for something that your parents did and I trust that you will all show them the same courtesy that you would expect to find here." 

Harry glanced at Hermione, she wasn't looking at him anymore but Harry wasn't fooled. She was going to corner him after dinner and let Harry have it. 

A Slytherin, Siara, stood up. "Professor Dumbledore?" she called. 

Dumbledore hadn't sat down yet and smiled at her. "Yes?" 

"What are their names?" 

Dumbledore took out three spheres, like the ones that Neville had had. "Evan Rosier's son was named Evan Rosier Junior by the man who raised him," Dumbledore shook the sphere and Evan Rosier Junior appeared. 

He was wearing a black robe and holding a stack of books. 

"That's quite a few books," Hermione said enviously. 

But Harry wasn't paying attention to the stack of books, he was looking at Evan's face. He didn't look dangerous at all. Evan was smiling and that made him look benign. 

Harry darted a glance around the Great Hall. Some students looked disgusted with the prospect of having Evan Rosier's son at Hogwarts, some looked scared, but some looked like they would give Evan a chance and Harry was slightly relieved. With two weeks ahead of them, maybe that disgust would change to tolerance. 

Dumbledore shook Evan's sphere and he returned. Next came Katrina. 

"Katrina Wilkes Snape," Dumbledore informed them. 

Harry's eyes widened. Katrina was wearing a bright yellow oversized jacket with yellow boots (silver chains on them), black pants (bright colored frog cutouts on them), and a green robe, slashed diagonally from hip to knee, with the words "Snakes, Frogs, and Toads Rule" written in silver across it. She was also wearing a dog collar around her neck and smaller dog collars around her wrists, and she was waving. 

"She looks like Snape," Ron said softly, staring at Katrina with his mouth open. 

Harry shook himself and glanced at the Slytherin table. They were staring at Katrina with their eyes nearly falling out. 

"Patrick Wilkes Snape," Dumbledore said, returning Katrina and shaking the last sphere. 

Patrick appeared, wearing robes of royal blue, and looking quite handsome. Several people pointed at Narcissa for the source of his good looks. Patrick wasn't moving much, just standing there and looking off to the side. 

Dumbledore returned Patrick. "Patrick will be coming to Hogwarts on a trial basis. He is deaf," lots of murmuring went around on that one, "and the Ministry has agreed to let him come to see if any other deaf children of wizard parents should be allowed to come to Hogwarts," Dumbledore didn't sound very positive of the Ministry ever agreeing to that. "Katrina will be in fifth year, Evan will be in sixth year, and Patrick will be in seventh year. They will be sorted into their respective houses on the day they come to Hogwarts." 

Dumbledore sat down and Harry couldn't wait. He hoped one of them got into Gryffindor. He had no hope for Katrina getting in. She looked like she did what she wanted too, goodness knows she dressed weird enough, and Slytherin would probably suit her better than any other house. But Patrick? Or Evan? 

"They certainly looked weird," came a voice from down the table. "Not what I expected children of Death Eaters to look like. Only one of them wore black." 

"Looks can be deceiving," said someone else. 

"I wonder if they will all get sorted into Slytherin," Fred muttered. "They're parents were." 

"That doesn't mean anything," said a girl down the table, a fourth year. "My parents were both in Ravenclaw and so are all my siblings. And Dumbledore is right, we shouldn't judge them based on what their parents did. I get sick of people expecting me to be extremely smart just because my parents were. I'm not them. I don't have their personality or interests and I don't act like them. I'm going to give them a chance." 

As the food appeared, Harry slowly dug in, listening to the conversations around him. Hopefully with two weeks a head of them most of the school would come around, it sounded like most kids were willing to give them a chance. Though some of them would stop giving them a chance if they all got sorted into Slytherin. 

Harry was right about Hermione having figured out who had found out about Severus's children, she cornered him in an empty classroom on their way back to Gryffindor Tower and shut the door behind her. Ron and Ginny, who had come in too, were looking at Hermione in confusion. 

"It was you!" Hermione said flatly. "You found Snape's kids. It all fits! This summer, how you suddenly decided you liked Snape overnight, learning sign language so fast!" 

Ron and Ginny turned to Harry and Harry nodded his head, deciding to come clean. 

"I told Melusine about what I had found out. Dumbledore and her are the only ones that know the whole story. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you all but Melusine never gave me permission. Lupin found out some of the story, Melusine let me tell him and Sirius accidentally found out about some too. And Narcissa, being Severus's sister, was told, and then Draco." 

"Why couldn't we know?" Ron demanded, looking hurt. 

Harry shook his head. "I found out about it accidentally. I know it wasn't fair of me not to tell you but I didn't want many people to know. Severus's children might not have been found alive. The less people that knew about, it the better." 

Ron opened his mouth to protest and then shut it. "Have you met them?" 

Harry nodded his head. "Yeah." 

"Do they know about their parents?" Ginny asked. 

Harry nodded his head. "Yes. They have Florence Wilkes diary and all three of them know what happened to their parents. They hate Voldemort, but they also hate the Ministry." 

"Why the Ministry?" Hermione asked, confused. 

Harry scowled. "The Ministry did some really stupid things back then. I can't tell you about it, that's Severus's business. I hope you all give them a chance." 

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny looked at each other and then at Harry. 

"Do you like them?" Ginny asked. "Are they nice?" 

Harry nodded his head. "They are very nice. Evan likes to read, he knows quite a few languages and is really smart. Patrick is kind of shy and likes to photograph things, the wizard and Muggle way. Katrina is all over the place," Harry smiled. "She has her dad's obsession with the Dark Arts. She has a Red Cap named Junior." 

Hermione frowned. "Aren't they dangerous?" 

"She found Junior when he was a baby and raised him. He can talk, apparently. I hope I get to meet him when they come to Hogwarts." 

Ron still looked a bit hurt and Harry knew there was nothing he could do about it. 

"Come on," Harry said. "Let's play some chess." 

They went to the Gryffindor Common Room and started to play. Ron seemed to get over it and Hermione had grabbed Neville and was making him teach her sign language. Ginny was learning it too. 

"How is Snape's son going to learn anything if he's deaf?" asked a seventh year boy. "None of the teacher's know sign language," he said. "Not even Snape knows it." 

Without thinking Harry spoke up. "Severus knows it. So does Narcissa... Narcissa could just go with Patrick to his classes and sign for him." 

"How do they know it?" the boy demanded. "I still can't believe they're coming. Children of Death Eaters," he moaned, shuddering. 

"There are a lot of children of Death Eaters in Slytherin," Hermione said. "We just don't know who they are." 

"And," Harry added, "I'm sure Slytherin isn't the only house that has children of Death Eaters in it." 

That led the entire common room to be quiet as they looked around at each other, wondering if they had any in Gryffindor. 

"I bet Snape was one too!" said a third-year. 

Harry went back to playing chess, as the common room filled with its normal buzz of conversation. 

Over the next two weeks most of the students had come around to the idea that they would give Patrick, Katrina, and Evan a chance. But many were worried that they would all get sorted into Slytherin and then Slytherin would have even more Death Eater children in it. 

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were learning sign language from Narcissa on a daily basis. Neville had quit coming to the classes, not feeling welcomed. Harry hoped Neville eventually found a friend. 

Harry hurried on to dinner, Ron and Hermione hurrying after him. Severus and the kids would be there. Their sorting ceremony was being done before dinner and Harry was anxious to find out where all the kids were going, and to see them again. 

Severus was sitting at the Head Table and smiled at Harry as he walked in. Harry grinned back. The kids were sitting in front of the Head Table and Harry smiled at them. 

"Hi, Harry!" Katrina yelled over the noise. "Good to see you again!" 

Harry blushed as eyes turned to him, but then Katrina yelled a greeting to Lupin (told him to say hi to Snuffles for her), Draco, Narcissa, and Dumbledore as they came in. 

Dumbledore smiled at her as students and staff took their seats. 

"Evan's going to get into Slytherin," Hermione whispered to Harry. "He's troll-blooded and Slytherin is where all the troll-bloods go." 

Harry's heart fell slightly. That wasn't fair. "But he's not pure-blood," Harry said, hoping Evan didn't get in there. 

Hermione nodded her head. "Trolls are magical creatures and so someone with troll blood in them is still considered pure-blood. Only wizards with Muggle blood in them are considered half-blood since Muggles aren't magical creatures. Fleur was a pure-blood even though her grandmother was a veela." 

"But just because he has troll blood in him doesn't mean anything," Harry protested. 

Hermione shrugged. "They're aggressive, Harry." 

McGonagall got the sorting stool and the hat ready. Katrina jumped up and sat on it, jamming the Sorting Hat on her head before anyone told her to move. 

SLYTHERIN, the Hat screamed. 

"No surprise there," Ron murmured, though whether he was being sarcastic or not, Harry couldn't tell. 

Katrina smiled widely as she put the hat back on the stool. "I'm in your house, Dad!" she said. 

Severus grinned at his daughter and Harry fought back sudden tears. He quickly wiped them away and smiled as he saw several teachers doing the same. 

Evan sat on the stool next and put the Hat on his head. 

RAVENCLAW, the Hat screamed. 

Hermione nearly fell off her chair. "Ravenclaw!" 

Harry grinned. The Ravenclaws looked completely bewildered as did most of the other houses. 

"All right, Evan!" Katrina said, smiling at Evan as he put the Hat on the stool and walked back to his seat. 

Patrick was next, Katrina gently shoved him off his seat, and Patrick stumbled to the stool, jammed the Hat on his head and looked off to the side. 

HUFFLEPUFF, the Hat yelled. 

Harry's mouth fell open. Hufflepuff! Glancing at Severus, seeing how he would take this news, Harry was surprised to see him smiling. He didn't seem startled in the least. 

Katrina walked around Patrick and signed to him the house he got in. Patrick glanced back at Professor Sprout and smiled at her. Sprout waved at him. 

Food appeared, but Harry watched Katrina, Patrick, and Evan turn around, go to their respective Heads of Houses and start talking to them (or in Katrina's case, hug them). Narcissa had gone with Patrick to Professor Sprout. 

Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw House, looked terrified at first, but then he relaxed and started to laugh at something Evan was saying. 

"That was weird," Fred muttered. "I didn't expect that!" 

Harry was slightly disappointed. He had hoped one of them would end up in Gryffindor. 

The students were buzzing with what had just happened. Katrina being in Slytherin had been expected, but no one had expected Evan to get into Ravenclaw; and the thought that a son of Snape's would have landed in Hufflepuff, and Snape didn't seem to care, blew people's minds. 

"But Hufflepuff's are all duffers," a third-year muttered. "How can Snape stand the shame of having a son in Hufflepuff?" 

Harry glanced at Severus. He was signing to Patrick now and Patrick looked very excited about being in Hufflepuff. Harry caught a few signs that had to do with plants, soil, and weekends. 

"He doesn't seem to care," Ginny observed. 

The Slytherins, before anyone else could, had Severus in hand, right after dinner, and dragged him, Patrick, Katrina, and Evan down into the Slytherin dungeons. Harry wanted to follow but felt it wouldn't be right. Severus had just come back and the Slytherins deserved to have some time alone with their Head of House. Harry would wait until tomorrow. He had Potions in the morning anyway. 

"I bet he favors Katrina horribly," Ron muttered as he and Harry headed to bed. "Just think of how he favored Draco, and that was just his nephew." 

"Do you think he'll favor Patrick?" Harry asked. 

Ron shrugged. "Probably. But he's in Hufflepuff, not Slytherin, so it won't be so bad." 

Harry wondered about that. 

Even Ron and Hermione were quite excited about going to Potions the next day. They hurried and ate and they all raced down to their first class with Severus's daughter. Katrina was the only one, besides Severus, that was there. She was sitting on a table and watching Severus write on the blackboard. Though she was wearing a black robe, Katrina was also wearing blue jeans underneath it, her yellow boots, and a yellow baseball cap. 

"Hi, Harry!" Katrina greeted, hopping of the table and coming over to hug Harry. 

Harry blushed, but then quit as Katrina hugged both Ron and Hermione too! 

"Best friends of Harry Potter," Katrina said, grinning. "You two must be pretty special for Harry to have you as friends." 

Ron and Hermione looked startled. 

"Uh, yeah, I guess," Ron muttered, looking nervously at Harry. 

Katrina smiled again and headed off to talk to Severus. Harry led them to sit at the table next to the one Katrina had her stuff on. 

The class filed in and Neville came in last, heading toward a back table, when Severus stopped him. 

"Mr. Longbottom, since you don't have a partner, you will be Miss Snape's," Severus said, smiling at using his last name for another person. 

Neville nodded his head and headed toward Katrina, looking scared. 

Harry was glad he had chosen to sit next to Katrina. That way he could help Neville out if need be. It turned out that Neville, for the first time, was the one that had to take charge. Katrina kept wanting to mess with the ingredients, shred things wrong, dump in additional ingredients, or put them in before it was time. 

"Part of learning," Katrina said calmly, "is making a mess and seeing what happens." 

Neville shook his head. "We have to do the potion right! We learn by doing what has been done! And then we can venture off, once we know the basics." 

Katrina frowned. "You have a point there." 

They went back to work, doing the potion right, and Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. 

The Slytherins didn't seem to know what to make of Katrina. She was friendly, not a Slytherin trait, but she was most definitely a Slytherin. Harry was quite glad of that. Maybe if other Slytherins saw that they didn't have to be mean and nasty all the time, Katrina wouldn't be the only friendly Slytherin at Hogwarts. 

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Severus wasn't showing any obvious favoritism to his children or Evan yet, simply because none of them had done anything to need it and Harry was glad about that. Once Hogwarts got used to the kids then they would tolerate Severus's favoritism better. 

"Trevor's missing," Neville said quietly as Harry entered the Gryffindor Common Room after Quidditch practice. 

"Not again," Ron snapped. "You should put a leash on him or something." 

Neville looked miserably at Harry. Harry wanted to help but he was exhausted and his muscles hurt. 

"Okay," Harry said, forcing himself to smile. "When did you last see him?" 

Neville shook his head. "This morning." 

"Open up!" hollered a voice from behind the portrait. It was Katrina. "I have a toad here that belongs to Neville!" 

Harry swung the portrait open and blinked. Katrina had placed Trevor the toad on her head. She walked in and spotted Neville. 

"Your toad, my good man. My frog captured her," Katrina said, handing Trevor to Neville. 

"Her?!" Neville squeaked. 

"Yes, her," Katrina laughed. "Didn't know that, eh? Trevor's a cute name for a girl toad. I have a boy frog named World-Crusher. He wanted a pet and decided to get Trevor." 

"He wanted a pet?" Hermione asked. "But he's a frog!" 

"World-Crusher?" Katrina said, looking at her feet. And there, a frog slowly appeared. 

Everyone, even Harry, jumped back. World-Crusher was huge! He came to Katrina's knees. 

"He can change his skin to blend in. And as you can see, he's big enough to want a pet," Katrina said. "Sorry about your toad, though, Neville. I'm going into Hogsmeade to get him a toad tomorrow at two. What to help me pick one out?" she asked Neville. "Your toad is pretty awesome so you have good taste in pets." 

Neville blushed. No one had ever complimented his toad before. "Sure," he said. 

Katrina nodded and left the Common Room, World-Crusher right behind her. 

"She has a frog!" Fred said, shaking his head. "But what kind was that? I've never seen a frog that big before." 

Harry shrugged his shoulders, looking at Neville. Neville was holding Trevor, a dreamy expression on his face, and then he wandered upstairs. Harry watched him go. Was it possible that Neville had just found a friend? Harry hoped so. 


	14. Chapter 14: Author's Note about Future ...

Disclaimer: All rights to whoever owns Harry Potter. 

Author's Note 

This is just a short note to explain why this next chapter is so late, and why there won't be another one. 

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be deleting all the stories and redoing the two main ones. I've enjoyed writing them a great deal but I changed the original story line quite a bit to put them on fanfiction.net. I didn't have the courage to put up what I had outlined. But now I want to go back and write them in the way that I had intended for them to be. The characters are going to stay the same, and the basic plot (when Harry comes back he will need to find the children, like he did before), but most everything else will change to what it had originally been. 

It was the first time that I had ever let someone see something I had written and I was too worried to do it justice but I now I feel comfortable enough to do it right. Very sorry for those of you that have waited this long and will have to wait longer but I want to do this story in the way I had envisioned it to begin with. 

Thank you for reading these two stories and while you might not enjoy the changes that are about to come, I appreciate your having given me the confidence to do the changes. 

I haven't been able to start on the rewriting quite yet but I do plan on doing it fairly soon. I'll be deleting the stories on the same day I update the new chapter of The Dark Past. Again, I'm very sorry for the delay but I want to do this story right. 

Taran 


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